Athletes concerned about Zika virus should consider skipping Olympics, says USOC

The Obama administration is seeking $1.8 billion in emergency funds from Congress to combat the threat of the mosquito-borne Zika virus, the White House announced Monday.

“We routinely monitor where our students are traveling and always monitor the in-country situations for the individual programs”, Boyle said. However, that concern comes as no surprise when you take into consideration how close North America is to numerous countries already in an active Zika virus outbreak. However, pregnant women and women that may become pregnant, with travel plans to an affected area, should consult a physician before traveling.

Support for pregnant women’s health, including helping them access repellant to protect against mosquitos.

Colombia’s health minister Alejandro Gaviria told reporters Friday that three patients with the syndrome died last week at a clinic in Medellin, the country’s second-largest city.

Aside from mosquitoes, Zika can be spread through sexual contact in some cases, the CDC notes.

The Zika virus, carried via the same mosquitoes known to have spread dengue fever, has proven especially unsafe to pregnant women, as it is known to cause microcephaly in newborns.

Admitting that India is fairly vulnerable to Zika virus, Mumbai-based Haffkine Institute, one of the oldest biomedical research institutes of the country, is in the process of procuring resource material that is approved by the US-based Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), for diagnosis of the disease caused by the virus.

Symptoms of chikungunya usually begin 3-7 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito.

“At present we are not aware of any suspected or confirmed cases of Zika virus in Northern Ireland”.

The Australian Olympic Committee has also said it is advising all athletes to wear long sleeves and that any team member who is “pregnant at the time of the Games need to consider the risks very carefully before deciding whether to proceed with travel to Brazil”.

Zeid Al’Hussein, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in a statement on Monday in Geneva that laws and policies that restrict women access to these services must be urgently reviewed in line with human rights obligations. “Zika is not new – it has been around since the 1950s – but this strain is showing that it can be transmitted from the mother to the developing fetus”, he said.

Symptoms of the Zika virus are mild and include fever, rash, joint pain and pink eye, but the virus has also been linked to birth defects in women infected during pregnancy.

Couples who live in or have traveled to places where a Zika virus outbreak has been identified should use latex condoms during sex or to abstain from any sexual activity to prevent any possible transmission of the infection.