IOC to advise national Olympic bodies on Zika virus

The IOC is advising national Olympic committees to follow the World Health Organization’s guidance on dealing with the Zika virus ahead of the games in Rio de Janeiro.

Infectious disease specialist Kyle Petersen spent years studying Zika virus as commanding officer of Naval Medical Research Unit 6 (NAMRU-6) in Lima, Peru. Virus trackers here say that the strain raging in Brazil probably came from Polynesia, site of an outbreak at that time.

Chan explained that where the virus has spread there has been a corresponding “steep increase in the birth of babies with abnormally small heads and in cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome”.

Health fears are nothing new in Rio, where sanitation is far below standards of more developed nations.

Greece became the main gateway for more than a million refugees who began arriving in Europe a year ago, most fleeing war and persecution in countries like Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

New Zealand’s women athletes are not letting the threat of the Zika virus put them off their quest for Olympic glory. That connection has still not been proved.

“There have been no discussions about canceling the games or moving them to another city because of Zika”, a spokesman for the Rio Olympics organizing committee tells the Times.

His view is shared by Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes who said he didn’t believe Zika “is a problem for the Olympics”.

Much of the effort against the illness focuses on protecting people from mosquito bites and reducing mosquito populations. She said that about 15 per cent of her clients who had booked trips for the Olympics had called in recent days to ask about the Zika virus and the possibility of modifying their trips.

Visitors from the Northern Hemisphere will be returning to their home countries in the summer months, when mosquito populations are largest.

Researchers are seeing if major sporting events could contribute to the rapid spread of the Zika virus.

The projected total cost for the games, including large infrastructure projects like an extended subway and reformed port area, now stands at 39.1 billion reais, about one percent more than forecast some six months ago.

“The Olympic and Paralympic venues will be inspected on a daily basis during the Rio 2016 Games to ensure there are no puddles of stagnant water and therefore minimize the risk of coming into contact with mosquitoes”, organizers said.

The British Olympic Association (BOA) and British Paralympic Association (BPA) are monitoring developments.

Every Olympics has its share of pre-Games anxieties, but even by usual standards this Rio 2016 checklist is getting pretty lengthy.