Q&A: As Zika rages in the Americas, should Asia be worried?

Taiwan has recently issued a travel advisory for Thailand, warning expectant mothers or women trying to get pregnant to postpone their trips there.

In French Polynesia, an increase in a neurological disorder called Guillain-Barre syndrome coincided with the outbreak.

[...] many more cases have likely gone undetected or been misdiagnosed as dengue or chikungunya, which are also spread by the same type of mosquito — the Aedes aegypti — and have similar symptoms of headache, fever rash and joint pain.

After a Thai migrant worker was diagnosed with the disease in Taiwan, health officials there issued a Feb. 14 travel advisory warning expectant mothers or women trying to get pregnant to put off traveling to Thailand, and for men to wear condoms after returning to avoid potentially spreading the virus via sex.

[...] Dr. Nick White, a tropical disease expert who has researched mosquito-borne diseases for decades at Thailand's Mahidol University, called Taiwan's travel guidance "excessive."

The condition can lead to seizures, learning disabilities, developmental problems, cerebral palsy, vision problems and other issues.

Guillain-Barre syndrome is an autoimmune disorder where the body attacks the nervous system.

Use insect repellant and wear long-sleeve shirts, pants and socks, especially during key Aedes mosquito feeding times in the morning, late afternoon or evening.

Some health agencies, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have issued guidance for pregnant women to avoid traveling to areas experiencing Zika outbreaks and for men returning from affected countries to wear condoms or abstain from sex with pregnant women.