The Zika virus is the suspected culprit of 3,400 cases of microcephaly in the country.
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A small team of worldwide refugee athletes will participate in the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro this year, Thomas Bach, the president of the global Olympic Committee, confirmed Thursday.
Health experts say such cases are to be expected in Europe, given the scale of the outbreak in South America and the frequency of global travel.
The International Olympic Committee is sending an advisory to participants in the 2016 Summer Games on how to deal with the mosquito-borne Zika virus.
“Sean Gaine, our chief medical officer, is working closely with the relevant parties on behalf of Team Ireland”.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach leaves after a news conference in Lausan …
Games organisers said in a statement that the Olympics, which take place from August 5-21, are during the winter months when the cooler climate significantly reduces the presence of mosquitoes.
The government is looking at the issue of blood donations from travelers, although officials think the virus is gone from an infected person’s blood in a week or less.
The 2016 Olympics could be hit hard after some countries warned pregnant women not to travel to Brazil and major airlines began offering refunds on tickets to the South American country in light of growing fears over the Zika virus.
“At this stage the advice is that that expectant mothers or those planning pregnancy do not travel to areas with the Zika virus present”, NZOC public affairs and communications director Ashley Abbott told NZ Newswire.
“The risk is no joke, so we will maintain this inspection program until the end of the Paralympics”, he said.
The World Health Organization says China and other countries with dengue fever should be on the lookout for Zika virus infections.
The Australian team is also recommending team members in the Athletes’ Village do not leave windows or doors open, and instead use the air conditioning provided.
The International Olympic Committee on Thursday said it would issue guidelines to NOCs, but it appears that the Canadian Olympic Committee is way ahead of them.
Zika has spread to more than 20 nations and territories in the Western Hemisphere, according to the World Health Organisation, illustrating how quickly the epidemic can expand even without a big global gathering.
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Patrick Sandusky, spokesman for the United States Olympics Committee, also said they were monitoring the situation, telling the Washington Post they were also “taking steps to ensure that our delegation and those affiliated with Team USA are aware of the CDC’s recommendations regarding travel to Brazil”.
