Yucatan Living

US Mission to Mexico Warns about Zika

United States Embassy Mexico City

Security Message for U.S. Citizens: Zika Virus

Dated: January 15, 2016

The United States Mission to Mexico informs U.S. citizens that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is upgrading its advisories regarding the Zika Virus. Zika virus is a mosquito-borne illness that can be spread from a pregnant woman to her unborn baby. Among other effects, there have been reports of a serious birth defect of the brain called microcephaly and other poor pregnancy outcomes in babies of mothers who were infected with Zika virus while pregnant. For general information about Zika, please visit the CDC website. To obtain Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) travel notices, call the CDCat 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636) from within the United States, or 1-404-639-3534 from overseas or visit the CDCwebsite.

For information on other mosquito-borne illnesses in Mexico, please visit the Country Specific Information.

We strongly recommend that U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in Mexico enroll in the Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program(STEP) at travel.state.gov. STEP enrollment gives you the latest security updates, and makes it easier for the U.S. embassy or nearest U.S. consulate to contact you in an emergency. If you don’t have Internet access, enroll directly with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.

Visit the Embassy's website and sign up for Facebook and Twitter. Regularly monitor the State Department's website, where you can find current Travel Warnings, (including the Travel Warning for Mexico), Travel Alerts, and the Worldwide Caution. Read the Country Specific Information for Mexico, and refer to the “Traveler’s Checklist” on the State Department’s website. Contact the U.S. Embassy or Consulate for up-to-date information on travel restrictions. You can also call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). Follow the State Department on Twitter andFacebook to have travel information at your fingertips.

Locations and contact information for the Embassy, Consulates General, and Consular Agencies in Mexico may be found at http://mexico.usembassy.gov/eng/edirectory.html.