The Zika virus is altering Americans’ travel plans, with 4 in 10 people saying they are now less likely to visit South America or the Caribbean, says a new poll released Sunday.
The Reuters/Ipsos survey of 1,595 adults in the US found that the more people learn about Zika, the more they are fearing the mosquito-borne virus, which doctors warned may be linked to a spate of birth defects in Brazil.
Since January, the number of Americans aware of the virus grew from less than 50 percent to nearly 60 percent, the survey found.
“I am actively trying to get pregnant with my husband, so I am a little bit concerned,” said one poll respondent, who said she was rethinking plans to celebrate her wedding anniversary in Jamaica.
Other American tourists said they might cancel plans to visit Puerto Rico and Mexico.