Okay, I realize this is a financial blog, but I couldn’t help it. We have planned to travel to Puerto Rico this summer for Mr. WRI’s nephew wedding. On the back of our minds, Puerto Rico might be the place that we could spend 3 months of winter in our early years of retirement and continue to reinvest extra income in our taxable account. We spent $3500 last year on our Puerto Rico trip and we enjoyed it very much. This year, I planned to use points and miles to get us a free trip to Puerto Rico.
With the recent developments on Zika, we are pretty nervous about traveling to Puerto Rico. I can see our free trip comes with more risk than we can tolerate. Zika is now confirmed to cause birth defect microcephaly and a wide range of neurological birth defects. In adult, it might cause an autoimmune disorder that is similar to multiple sclerosis. It’d require either one of us in the workplace to get good insurance for the severe condition.
Health officials have previously expressed concern about Zika’s association with a different neurological condition known as Guillain-Barré syndrome, in which the immune system attacks the nerves and can start as weakness or tingling and can lead to paralysis.
What’s in the news?
Here are some random facts about the mosquitoes that carry the virus:
Here is a picture of a Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.
Well anything that looks like a tiger or have the name tiger attach to it sounds dangerous. They could have called it zebra mosquitoes.
We are seriously considering canceling our trip to Puerto Rico. We try not to let the Zika thing to spoil the fun, but we know so little about the virus, and the damage is severe. I wonder what happen to the people who have low immune system – cancer patients, diabetic, people who are on chronic steroids, chronic disorder IBS, etc.
What do you think? Are you going to the Caribbean this year?
We aren’t travelling at all right now. But even if we were considering it, with our IVF so close. We wouldn’t go within 1000 miles of a dangerous zika area for our baby.
Tristan
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It’s exciting time for you guys. I can’t wait to see baby pictures on your blog.
It’s a nerve wrecking time, the Zika is from Asia itself. Perhaps the Asians have some immune system built-in. It’s the same type of mosquitoes that carry dengy (yellow fever).
The Olympic 2016 is in Brazil this year, in the heart to the Zika outbreak. I would not be suprised, that after the Olympic, Zika will be a “global” problem. Whether, countries can get together and beat this thing or not will be the biggest question of the 2016-2017.
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WRI,
Thanks for the heads up! WE are traveling to Costa Rica next month! It is a pretty scary virus..I guess I should get outside more and lose a few pounds. Haha! Hopefully everything will be ok.
Keep in touch
LOMD
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I’m sure you’ll have a fantastic time in Costa Rica. I’ve never been there myself, but my best friend has gone there, she had a great time, zip-lining, tour the forest, beach, it has it all. I’m waiting for the write up. Did you get most of your trip free also?
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