The U.S. Embassy in Thailand informs U.S. citizens that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued Travel Guidance for countries in Southeast Asia, including Thailand, regarding the risk of Zika virus infection. Zika virus is endemic in Thailand. The risk of Zika to travelers, especially pregnant women, in endemic countries is likely lower (but not zero) than in areas such as the Americas, where Zika has been newly introduced and spreading widely. Women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant should discuss their travel plans with their medical provider and consider postponing nonessential travel to Thailand. Men whose partners are pregnant or are considering pregnancy should talk to their medical provider about CDC's recommendations on how to avoid sexual transmission of Zika infection to their partners.
The CDC has concluded that the Zika virus is a cause of microcephaly and other severe fetal brain defects in some fetuses and babies born to some infected mothers. Zika also rarely may lead to the Guillain-Barré syndrome or other neurological conditions, which can affect individuals of any age or sex.
Zika virus is typically transmitted by the day biting Aedes aegypti mosquito, but there have been confirmed cases of transmission through sexual contact and blood transfusion. CDC reports that travel to elevations higher than 2,000 m (6,500 ft) above sea level is considered to have minimal likelihood for mosquito-borne Zika virus transmission, even within countries reporting active transmission.
