Because of the continuing threat of the Zika virus, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has cautioned pregnant women against traveling to the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil, which is worst hit by the outbreak.
The Summer Olympic Games will be held in Rio de Janeiro from Aug. 5 to 21, while the Paralympics Games will take place on Sept. 7 to 18.
“The Zika outbreak in Brazil is dynamic,” states the CDC warning, which covers both pregnant women and those who are actively trying to conceive.
Pregnant women are recommended to consider not going to the event, or to talk to their physician if they find the need to go. They are also urged to strictly follow the steps for preventing mosquito bites during the trip, including better skin coverage, staying in screened or air-conditioned rooms and using a bed net when exposed to the outdoors.
The advisory also raised the possibility of sexual transmission in a pregnant woman’s male partner going to the Olympics, recommending the use of condoms or foregoing sexual intercourse altogether during the course of the pregnancy.
This statement is CDC’s first outright warning to stay away from the games, which is expected to draw in up to 400,000 tourists from parts of the globe. Brazilian authorities are already mapping mosquito control plans to manage the risks to everyone taking part in the event.
The United States currently has 147 confirmed cases of Zika virus, excluding 117 diagnosed cases in Puerto Rico. Among pregnant women in the country, nine are confirmed sick with the infection, with 10 more being investigated at present.
The Food and Drug Administration has also granted the emergency use of a new blood test for the virus. The Zika MAC-ELISA detects antibodies four days to 12 weeks after the initial symptoms.
Brazil, on the other hand, has confirmed more than 580 cases of microcephaly, a rare birth defect characterized by small heads and a potentially underlying brain damage. There has been a marked explosion of the disease in Brazil, with an added 4,100 suspected cases currently being probed, and in other Zika-affected areas.
In recent weeks, a number of international athletes have expressed worry over the Zika outbreak, which the World Health Organization declared as a global emergency some weeks ago. U.S. soccer player Hope Solo on Thursday said she may no longer join the team in the Olympics because of the growing concern.
Photo: Jon Curnow | Flickr
