Traveling to a Zika zone? Expert suggests travel insurance.

Travelers heading to areas with confirmed cases of the Zika virus don’t necessarily need to change their plans, but they should strongly consider premium-level travelers insurance, a travel expert said Monday.

“A standard travel insurance won’t allow you to cancel just because you are pregnant,” said Jenny Cagle of Elm Grove Travel.

People who are pregnant or could become pregnant and who are traveling to a Zika zone should buy a plan that allows them to cancel for any reason, she said. That type of insurance can cost about $100 to $150 per person.

Ten new cases of Zika infection were confirmed in Florida on Monday, prompting officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue an unprecedented travel warning. 

The 150-square-meter neighborhood with Zika-infected mosquitoes is roughly three miles from Miami’s ship port.

“And it’s a huge port for cruise departure,” Cagle said. “So a lot of people are traveling to that area to get on their ship that’s going to take them down to the Caribbean.”

Cagle said it’s important that travelers speak with their doctors and keep tabs on the CDC’s website to stay informed. 

“Every confirmation that we send to one of our clients has a notification about the virus on it,” she said. 

And Cagle reminded that not every winter getaway place has the Zika virus.

“It’s not like we all have to stay home this winter. We can find some other spots to go to,” she said.