The WHO said Brazil has reported 3,893 suspected cases of microcephaly, more than 30 times the normal rate.
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Bach said the fact that the Olympics will take place in August, during Brazil’s winter, could mitigate the impact of the Zika outbreak.
“At this stage, this advice is that that expectant mothers or those planning pregnancy do not travel to areas with the Zika virus present”. There is now no treatment or vaccine for Zika.
Petersen says this isn’t the first outbreak of Zika virus, which actually dates back to the 1940s in Uganda.
“We are in close contact with the World Health Organisation (WHO) as well as with the organising committee and the Brazilian authorities”.
Officials believe it may have arrived in Brazil with a traveller when the country hosted the 2014 World Cup. That’s because “the virus can be carried in a person’s blood to a new country, then passed along to others by mosquito bites”, The New York Times reports.
An Olympic Council of Ireland spokesperson told Independent.ie: “We are monitoring the situation and liaising with the worldwide Olympic committee and Rio 2016”.
The WHO warned on Thursday that the disease, linked to birth defects in thousands of babies, was spreading “explosively” and could affect as many as four million people in the Americas.
The general public will be able to reward fair play at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games by nominating candidates for an illustrious award online.
“We have several bookings that are multiple generations, grandparents, parents, kids, so I can see why people are concerned”, she says.
It said Games officials would “continue to monitor the issue closely”.
The IOC said the World Health Organization does not recommend any change to travel plans, but noted that some national authorities have recommended “on a precautionary basis” that pregnant women should consider avoiding travelling to areas infected by Zika.
The Aedes mosquito spreads diseases including Zika, dengue fever and chikungunya.
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The Brazilian government earlier in the month declared a state of emergency due to the virus, while other South and Central American countries are also taking steps to combat the disease. The WHO is meeting on Monday to discuss whether to declare the outbreak an worldwide emergency. Chan said although there was no definitive proof that Zika was responsible for a spike in the number of babies being born with abnormally small heads in Brazil, “the level of alarm is extremely high”. Petersen adds that the majority of people who get infected – estimated at more than 70 percent – experience no symptoms at all.
