Theme parks in Florida, such as Universal Orlando, Walt Disney World and Sea World, are taking a proactive stand in ensuring the safety of its visiting families in the fight against the Zika virus. While local health authorities have yet to confirm the presence of Zika in these sites, it's really better to be safe than sorry.
These theme parks have been distributing mosquito repellants to its guest for free and have also put up a lot reminders of about mosquito prevention in and around the parks. "We have an extensive mosquito-prevention and monitoring program in place, and we continue to work closely with local, state and federal experts on this topic," Disney World said in their statement, while Universal Orlando also issued a similar statement, via CNN. Sea World has also expressed working with local authorities to keep abreast of the health threats.
Disney World to start providing free insect repellent as Zika comes closer https://t.co/M4uQJZpA71 pic.twitter.com/EsOPnVZqoA
— Orlando Sentinel (@orlandosentinel) August 27, 2016
The mosquito repellants will be available at theme park hotel rooms and guest services areas effective immediately. Curiously, Gizmodo reports that these sites do not use the word "Zika" in its public advisory, but instead puts the focus on mosquito bite prevention and protection.
The news comes as Miami, through Gov. Rick Scott, confirmed that the Zika virus has spread in certain vicinities in their state, per Washington Post. Five locals and two tourists have been confirmed with the infection, which is believed to have been acquired at the beach sites.
The CDC has immediately issued a travel advisory for Miami. It is asking pregnant women to take precautions and individuals to be wary of the risks of mosquito-borne carriers, including sexual contamination.
Though Miami is more than 200 miles from Orlando, experts believe that the virus will reach the theme parks soon enough. But The Orlando Sentinel reports that the state has a "gold standard of mosquito control efforts" even before Zika escalated. Businesses take mosquito control as a serious matter. However, since news of Zika have been cropping up, a noticeable drop in tourists has been experienced by some businesses this year.
