Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are already being protective parents.
The couple, who announced Monday that they are expecting their first child together, embarked on their first international tour together – a 16-day trip to Australia, New Zeeland, Fiji, and Tonga – and they took special medical precautions prior to traveling to areas that are affected by the Zika virus.
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According to PEOPLE, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex reportedly sought medical advice about the virus, which can cause serious birth defects such as microcephaly, prior to take off, and it is likely that they are armed with a number of protective methods.
“I’m sure that they will have sought travel health advice in terms of protective methods in terms of mosquito bites. There is a lot you can do to minimize risks,” Professor James G Logan, Head of the Department of Disease Control at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told the outlet.
Zika, which is spread through mosquito bites, rose to prominence in 2016 following a massive outbreak that affected more than 30 countries. Although roughly 80 percent of people infected with Zika experience no symptoms, it is known to cause severe birth defects, including microcephaly, which can lead to babies being born with much-smaller-than-normal heads and developmental problems and in some cases death.
Currently, the World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advise against travel to both Tonga and Fiji while pregnant. According to CNN, Tonga is currently placed in a risk category 1 – an area with new introduction or ongoing transmission – and Fiji in a category 2 – an area of evidence of the virus circulating before 2015 or ongoing transmission.
“Generally the risk is low but, there is still a risk and you need to weigh up how to protect yourself and make sure you are fully informed, Logan said.
“Advice would be to wear a repellent which contains an active ingredient and wear that repellent all day and all evening. You have to put the repellent on like a hand cream. You have to really rub it in. If you squirt it on like a perfume, that won’t do anything because the mosquito will find a bit that’s not covered. A spray or a lotion is fine but really rub it in and reapply it often. There are four active ingredients, one of the main ones is DEET and it’s safe to use that during pregnancy,” he explained.
“Wearing long sleeves and baggy clothes will help. Mosquitoes can even bite through jeans so if the clothing is loose it’s much harder for the mosquito to bite. Wearing light-colored clothing can help as these mosquitoes are often attracted to dark clothing. It also helps you spot them, if you see a dark mosquito on a light piece of clothing.”
Despite the risk factor, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have opted not to change their schedule.
