American is offering pregnant customers, who appear most vulnerable to the virus, and their companions refunds for tickets to Zika-impacted regions.
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The virus is mild compared to similar mosquito-borne illnesses, Pontzer said, such as the dengue fever or chikungunya, and there’s no major risk to the general population. The Centers For Disease Control is warning pregnant women not to travel to affected countries.
The World Health Organization (WHO) set an emergency meeting for February 1 on the Zika virus, which it says is spreading “explosively” in the Americas, with three to four million cases expected this year. The airline says affected passengers may be entitled to a refund or fee-free change to a different destination or travel date.
Pregnant women will be allowed to reschedule cruises or change to another itinerary in a region that is not affected by Zika.
According to the CDC, the Zika virus is now prevalent in more than 20 countries, mostly Central and South America, and babies born to infected mothers have microcephaly, wherein the size of the head is abnormally small causing developmental issues in children.
Health officials said the number of USA residents diagnosed with Zika infections in the past year has grown to 31, but said all of them are believed to have caught the infection while traveling overseas.
– Norwegian Cruise Line said it is trying to rebook pregnant customers to later trips or to areas away from the outbreak.
It is unclear how many passengers will ask for their money back, given that numerous refund offers are limited to pregnant women. United, Delta and JetBlue have also announced refunds.
“Zika is not airborne, so there is not a danger of it being transmitted between passengers”, American’s President Scott Kirby said on a call with investors Friday.
“It’s something we’re going to pay attention to with our footprint in Latin America”, he added.
In a country where women can face prison sentences for miscarriages, this pregnancy hiatus will most likely mean a strong reliance on birth control or abstinence. Cameron says she has another doctor’s appointment just before she travels.
Countries that have had confirmed cases include: Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Paraguay, Panama, Puerto Rico, Saint Martin, Suriname and Venezuela.
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All Zika communications go through CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden and Dr. Lyle Peterson, who is heading the USA response.
