Since the virus is also transmitted through sexual contact, practicing safe sex or abstaining from sex is also necessary to limit the spread of the disease.
Advertisement
Malaysia has no plans to withdraw from the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil despite the rising cases of Zika virus reported in the South American country.
“You don’t want to bring a standstill to the world’s movement of people”, Chan said. In addition, all travelers should avoid impoverished and crowded zones in Brazil that could be at a higher risk for the Zika virus.
The World Health Organisation is increasingly concerned about the Zika virus but does not recommend cancelling or postponing the Olympic Games in Brazil this summer.
Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization, addressed the issue at a Tuesday briefing in Geneva.
According to FoxNews.com, the two health organizations are working to educate the athletes and the personnel working the Olympics about the risks posed by the Zika virus, including ways to prevent infection.
The virus can cause birth defects in babies and has also been linked to Guillain-Barre Syndrome. “It’s all about risk assessment and risk management”, she said.
While the disease is primarily spread through mosquitoes, it has been found to also be spread through sexual contact and both the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommend using barrier contraception after being in areas where the virus is spreading to help stem infecting others, especially women who are pregnant.
The 2016 Olympic Games in Rio start on 5 August. The gel provides nearly 100 percent anti-viral protection against Zika and other viruses, according to laboratory studies.
The World Health Organization declared Zika an global health emergency in February.
“The health and well-being of the team come first”, Kitty Chiller, the chef de mission of Australia’s Olympic team, was quoted as saying by AFP.
Advertisement
Chan shares the concern of some Olympic athletes and travelers and says that coming to the Rio Games in light of the Zika outbreak is “very much an individual or group decision”.
