Infectious Illness Risk in Florida: What Disney World Guests Need to Know

It has been confirmed that the Influenza virus, commonly known as flu, is “very high” in the state of Florida.

Whether it’s home or a vacation destination, Florida is known for its warm climate, theme parks, beaches, and more. What is less commonly associated with the Sunshine State, but everpresent nonetheless are health risks. From the West Nile Virus to norovirus, reports have surfaced over the last few months of infectious disease cases across Florida.

Now, as flu season continues, new information has come to light.

“According to the Florida Department of Health, most counties throughout the state have been seeing an increasing number of these flu cases,” Click Orlando wrote.

The outlet noted that the counties with reported cases between December 29 through January 4 were Broward County (one new outbreak), Duval County (two new outbreaks), Miami-Dade County (one new outbreak), Pinellas County (one new outbreak), Seminole County (two new outbreaks), and Volusia County (one new outbreak).

On its flu tracking and surveillance, Florida Health wrote:

Surveillance is conducted to detect changes in the flu virus to help determine the annual northern hemisphere vaccine composition and to prepare for potential pandemics. Surveillance is also conducted to identify any unusually severe presentations of flu, detect outbreaks, and determine the onset, peak, and wane of the flu season to assist with prevention, particularly in high-risk populations like the very young, adults aged ≥65 years, and pregnant women.

The data report also noted that “annual vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and others from potentially severe complications from flu” and that “flu shots take up to two weeks to become fully effective, so it’s important to get vaccinated as soon as possible to reduce your chances of getting the flu this season.”

This means no reported cases were found in Orange County, the address of Walt Disney World Resort, in that time period, but guests should be cautious, considering the parks are high-touchpoint areas and—as seen from the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year periods—extremely crowded.

Typically occurring from October through May, flu season still has a few months left. Inside the Magic recently provided a guide on the best ways to cope with this period as well as advice on what to do to prevent catching this infectious disease.

State officials recommend getting vaccinated annually to combat the flu.

Do you think about your health and well-being while out at the Disney World theme parks? Let us know in the comments down below!