There is a correlation between Zika and microcephaly, which causes severe birth defects and sometimes death in children born with the condition.
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The Zimbabwe Olympic Committee media commission chairperson Margie Gibson told the Daily News the issue of Zika was of grave concern and they would continue to monitor the situation.
The 20-year-old Douglas and other Olympic hopefuls are in Hartford, Conn., for the Secret U.S. Classic on Saturday.
Day’s comments on Friday came a week after more than 100 medical experts, academia and scientists called for the Rio Olympics to be postponed or moved because of fears that the event could speed up the spread of the Zika virus.
Officials from each other organizations joined Sacramento Congresswoman Doris Matsui during a press conference at UC Davis Medical Center Friday about Zika virus. It has asked women planning to get pregnant to wait for minimal eight weeks prior to trying to conceive in case they or their partner belong to or has recently visited Zika-hit areas.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention keeps a frequently updated tally of the number of pregnant women diagnosed with the Zika virus in the United States and USA territories. That country is the hardest-hit of the approximately 60 nations that have reported Zika outbreaks and the one with the most cases of brain-damaged babies – nearly 1,500 – linked to the virus.
For a while mosquito-borne viruses like Zika were mainly a concern overseas, but now they are becoming a challenge in the United States.
Some studies have suggested that as few as 1 in 100 women infected in pregnancy might go on to have a child with microcephaly – though one of those papers said the figure might be as high as 13 percent.
But while many athletes are in full-fledged panic mode over Zika, that isn’t the case for everyone, including gymnast Gabby Douglas.
“Existing evidence and unpublished data shared with World Health Organization highlight the wider range of congenital abnormalities probably associated with the acquisition of Zika virus infection in utero”, stated the editorial.
It’s also about where those cases go – what’s the chance a fan or athletebrings the virus home to a place without Zika and triggers a new outbreak in Africa or Asia – or here in the States?
Among the 17 infected are four women, though none were pregnant, said Dr. Jose Sanchez, deputy chief of Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch.
For women who are pregnant or hoping to become pregnant, the recommendation is to stay away from areas with Zika outbreaks.
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Fox Sports has also named tennis superstar Serena Williams, soccer player Hope Solo and basketball player Carmelo Anthony as athletes who were considering skipping out on the 2016 Olympics in Brazil with concerns over Zika.
