Flyers to and from Puerto Rico are being targeted in a new Zika education and warning campaign underway at Bradley International Airport.
In Connecticut, 382 patients, including 315 pregnant women, have been tested for Zika virus, as of June 14. Twenty-six of those patients, including 8 pregnant women, have tested positive for travel-related Zika. As of June 8, 691 cases of travel-related Zika have been reported in the continental United States. Of those, 206 were pregnant women and 11 were sexually transmitted.
The campaign, a joint effort between the state Department of Public Health (DPH), Connecticut Airport Authority (CAA), federal Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and JetBlue, will focus on passengers traveling to and from San Juan, Puerto Rico on JetBlue’s two daily flights, but will also be seen by other travelers who may be connecting through other airports on their way to areas in the Caribbean, or Central/South America currently affected by Zika virus.
Posters in both English and Spanish will be placed on the jet bridges for the flights to San Juan. The posters warn travelers to the American Tropics of the risk for mosquito-borne diseases, including Zika, and advise steps to avoid mosquito bites.
Other posters focus on travelers returning from the American Tropics, providing information on symptoms to watch for and advise seeking treatment if symptoms arise. Posters will also be displayed on the JetBlue baggage carousel with advice for returning travelers.
DPH has also produced a wallet-sized, fold out pamphlet with Zika information that will be handed out to passengers boarding the JetBlue flights to San Juan.
