The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle, are in Sydney as they start their 16-day tour. The widely anticipated tour of Tonga and Fiji from October 23 to 26 has brought the spotlight back on the Zika virus.

The pregnant Meghan Markle had been advised to reschedule the tour itinerary to exclude Fiji and Tonga due to the risk of Zika Infection. 

The Duchess, who is expecting her first child, announced that the tour would go on as planned despite the presence of the dangerous virus. Sources say that the couple took the medical advice and all Zika virus infection concerns into consideration before deciding to proceed with the Southern hemisphere trip.

However, it's worth noting that the Duchess has been told to keep away from the jungles and rainforest of Tonga and Fiji. This is just part of the precautions that the couple is taking in light of the circumstances.

The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization released a world map defining the areas with risk of Zika infection. The Pacific islands of Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands are listed as moderate’ risk.

What is the Zika Virus?

Out of the spotlight recently, the Zika virus is an emerging virus in the Flavivirus family that includes dengue, yellow fever, West Nile and Japanese encephalitis viruses.

The virus was first discovered in Uganda back in 1947. The 1st confirmed infection was realized between 1962-63. The first known outbreak occurred in 2007 in the Western Pacific.

Six years later, another one happened in French Polynesia followed by other minor outbreaks in other Pacific Islands. Zika virus was introduced into Brazil somewhere between 2013 and 2015, causing a large epidemic that peaked in November 2015.   

Zika virus spreads to people mainly through when an infected Aedes mosquito species bites you. The mosquitos that spread the virus can strike at any time during the day.

This virus can be spread during intercourse with an infected person as well as from an expectant mother to her unborn during the pregnancy or even around the time of birth.  Many individuals infected with the virus will not exhibit any symptoms or will only have mild symptoms.

The most prevalent symptoms are fever, joint pain, headache, rash, red eyes, and muscular pain. The symptoms can last for several days to a week. It is rare for a person to get sick enough to require hospitalisation, and death from Zika is very rare.

The main risk of the virus is with regards to pregnant women. This is the primary reason why Meghan and Harry’s South Pacific caused so much concern.  Zika infection during pregnancy can cause congenital disabilities such as microcephaly. Microcephaly is a birth defect whereby the baby’s head is smaller than normal when compared to babies of same sex and age.

There have also been increasing reports of Guillain-Barre syndrome in areas affected by the virus. This is a very uncommon sickness of the nervous system.

The Takeaway 

Overall, there is no vaccine to prevent Zika. The best way to prevent its spread is through protection from mosquito bites. Given that Meghan and Harry have decided to proceed with the tour as scheduled, it is safe to assume that will be taking the necessary precautions to minimize any risk of Zika Infection. As such, all those concerned about the well-being of their Royal Highnesses should rest easy, and equally, all those planning a trip to ‘risk’ areas should carry out full research in advance and take medical advice.

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