Brazilian Health Officials: Zika Isn’t As Concerning As Once Was
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Brazilian health officials claim the chance for Zika virus infections at the Olympic Games in Rio is low. The word comes five days before the first Games are set to start in the South American city.
Daniel Soranz, health secretary for Rio de Janeiro, said Zika shouldn’t stop folks from traveling to the country, as the number of cases has dropped in the last few months.
Zika is a mosquito-borne virus that’s been tied to a birth defect called microcephaly. It occurs when a pregnant mother has become infected with Zika. It was discovered last year in Brazil when there were some concerns. The Games are expected to bring around 500,000 visitors to the country.
With cooler, drier weather despite the southern hemisphere’s winter, the amount of Zika and other mosquito-related diseases have dropped significantly in the last few months.
Soranz said since November 2015, projections and scientific studies showed that Zika wouldn’t be a problem during the Olympics. He said two weeks before the games, the amount of cases plaguing the city is nearly non-existent. Soranz said the government has been able to overcome the issue.
Although there was some alarm about Zika, U.S. government epidemiologists said the Olympics offered a tiny risk of spreading the disease, which has been quickly going through the Americas since it was first seen in Brazil. The government said 240 million people travel to the Americas every year – 500,000 of those who come to Rio was not a big threat.
While Zika is mainly spread through the bite of infected mosquitoes, it’s been found to be spread through sexual transmission.
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