Brits visiting Florida warned against having unprotected sex and sharing their sex toys over Zika virus threat
Warning comes as Public Health England raises threat level of Brits catching virus in range of global holiday destinations
BRITS travelling to Florida have been warned to avoid having unprotected sex and sharing sex toys because of the Zika virus.
The warning update comes as Public Health England also raised the threat level of Brits catching the bug in a range of other holiday destinations around the world.
Popular tourist spots Vietnam, Malaysia, the Maldives and the Solomon Islands have all had their Zika risk upgraded in the past month by worried UK health chiefs.
Over 1.5million Brits visit Florida every year, with an estimated 50,000 in the sunny state at the moment.
Public Health England has warned holidaymakers not to have sex without a condom for eight weeks, and to avoid sharing sex toys.
Its official guidance states: “Barrier method options recommended for preventing Zika virus transmission include male or female condoms for penetrative sex (including sex toys) and male or female condoms or dental dams for oral-genital or oral-anal sexual contact.
“Sex toys should not be shared.
“To increase their effectiveness barrier methods should be used consistently and correctly, for the entire duration of sexual contact.”
While most Zika virus infections are transmitted via Aedes mosquitoes, a small number of cases of sexual transmission have been reported.
Most cases have involved men who experienced Zika symptoms at or before the estimated time of sexual transmission to their partners.
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Public Health England have deemed the risk of infection in some parts of Florida “high”, but the majority of the state has been slapped with a “moderate” risk label.
Meanwhile, the government health department upgraded Vietnam, the Solomon Islands and the Philippines from a “moderate” to a “high” risk of catching the Zika virus.
Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Malaysia and the Maldives have been raised from a “low” to “moderate” risk.
An updated report with new figures on the total number of Brits infected with the virus looks set to be published on Wednesday.
Starting in Brazil in 2015, the current Zika virus epidemic sparked a health emergency by the World Health Organisation earlier this year.
Since then, it has spread to parts of the Caribbean, Central and South America, Oceania and some parts of Asia.
The Aedes mosquito responsible for the virus is not found in the UK, and the risk to the wider British public has been deemed “negligible” by health organisations.
Symptoms of the virus can include skin rashes, muscle or joint pains, headaches and mild fevers.
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