Olympic Officials Claim No Major Zika Virus Risk For Tourists, Athletes

Photo courtesy of Thinkstock

Representatives for the Rio Olympics committee pointed to research carried out by health officials that assures athletes and visitors that the Zika virus will not be a major risk when the Olympic Games commence in August.

According to NBCNews.com, health officials for Rio 2016 say the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes—known to carry the Zika virus—will be less active during the Olympic Games due to the cooler and drier weather in the region.

“It is worth knowing that the incidence of the mosquito that transmits the virus is extremely low in August and September, which is winter in Brazil and the period in which the Rio 2016 Games will take place,” Rio 2016's chief medical officer Dr. Joao Grangeiro said in a statement. “Furthermore, we have conducted 44 test events this year, the majority of them in the summer, the peak period for Zika. With more than 7,000 athletes, 8,000 volunteers and 2,000 staff participating, there was not a single case of contamination (infection).”

A recent study done at the University of Sao Paulo indicates that the Olympics “would result in no more than 16 additional cases of the disease.” In addition, the World Health Organization reported that moving or changing the 2016 Olympic Games would not significantly alter the international spread of Zika virus.

The Olympic committee is also working with locals to control the mosquito population, including daily patrols to eliminate standing water near the areas where the Games will take place. Officials still state that the best course of action is for visitors to protect themselves with longer clothing and insect repellents.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization are still advising pregnant women or women thinking about becoming pregnant to avoid areas affected by the Zika virus due to the potential birth defects the disease can cause.

As of July 10th elite athletes including Jordan Spieth, LeBron James, Rory Mcllroy and Jason Day have withdrawn due to Zika concerns. 

By IMPACTING TRAVEL | DONALD WOOD 

C.D.C. Urges Pregnant Women To Avoid Travel To Olympics Over Zika Fears

Divers practiced this week in Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Olympic Games. An estimated 500,000 people are expected to visit Brazil for the Games from Aug. 5 to Aug. 21, raising concerns about the spread of the Zika virus.CreditRicardo Moraes/Reuters

Health officials in the United States have advised pregnant women who are scheduled to attend the Olympic Games in Brazil to reconsider their plans because of the Zika virus epidemic.

In a travel advisory released on Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said women who are pregnant in any trimester should “consider not going to the Olympics.”

The agency also recommended, “If you have a male partner who goes to the Olympics, either use condoms or abstain from sex for the duration of your pregnancy.”

The C.D.C. issued special precautions for pregnant women who do decide to go to Brazil, as well as for women trying to become pregnant and men with pregnant partners. The C.D.C. said the precautions were necessary “because Zika virus infection in a pregnant woman is linked to a seriousbirth defect of the brain called microcephaly and miscarriage.”

“The Zika outbreak in Brazil is dynamic,” the C.D.C. said.

The agency said that pregnant women who choose to go to Brazil for the Olympic Games in August should first talk with their physician and then follow precautions to prevent mosquito bites, such as the use of specific insect repellent, covering exposed skin and staying in screened or air-conditioned rooms.

As many as 1.5 million people are believed to have contracted the Zika virus in Brazil, part of a larger outbreak that the World Health Organizationthis month declared an international public health emergency. Though Zika is not known to be fatal, it has been linked to microcephaly, a condition in which infants are born with small heads and brain damage.

More than 580 babies with microcephaly have been confirmed in Brazil, with an additional 4,100 cases under investigation, according to Reuters.

An estimated 500,000 people are expected to visit Brazil for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro from Aug. 5 to Aug. 21. That potential influx hasraised concerns about Zika’s potential spread around the world. Some researchers believe that the virus arrived in Brazil during the 2014 World Cup.

On Friday, the C.D.C. reported that nine pregnant women in the United States had tested positive for Zika, one of whom gave birth to a baby with microcephaly. Dr. Thomas Frieden, the agency’s director, said that scientists were still studying the connection between Zika and the birth defect. The agency’s website showed a total of 107 travel-related Zika cases reported in the United States, minus its territories, but as yet no locally acquired cases.

In the latest advisory, the C.D.C. also recommended that men who travel to the Olympics use condoms or abstain from sex with pregnant partners, advice it has already given to those traveling to areas affected by Zika because of reports that the virus can be sexually transmitted.

By ELI ROSENBERG, www.nytimes.com

How Zika Could Affect The Rio Olympics

U.S. athletes who are concerned about Zika can consider not attending the games.

This article appeared on time.com.

© Michael Kemp / Alamy Stock Photo

The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) has told U.S. sports federations that athletes worried about their health amid the ongoing Zika virus outbreak should consider not attending the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, according to Reuters.

Reuters reports, citing anonymous sources, that the news was provided during a conference call with committee officials and leaders of the sports federations in January. Athletic groups were reportedly told they should not go to Brazil if they do not feel comfortable going.

Pregnant women have been advised by U.S. health authorities not to travel to places of Zika transmission to avoid risk of infection. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recently updated its guidelines in regards to how to prevent the possibility of transmitting the virus via sex.

“We are closely monitoring the situation through the CDC and have ongoing contact with the International Olympic Committee, the organizing officials in Rio, the World Health Organization and infectious disease specialists with expertise in tropical diseases, including the Zika virus,” Patrick Sandusky, a USOC spokesperson told TIME in an email statement. “Additionally, we’re taking steps to ensure that our delegation and those affiliated with Team USA are aware of the CDC’s recommendations regarding travel to Brazil.”

by Alexandra Sifferlin / TIME

[Reuters]

Travelore News: Rio 2016 Olympic Games Tickets Go On Sale

Olympic Games fans who live outside of Brazil will be able to start planning their trip for the Rio 2016 Games on March 31^st, when the list of confirmed authorized ticket resellers (ATRs) will be published. The names of the companies who have been approved to sell tickets for the firstOlympic Games in South America will be available at http://www.rio2016.com/en/take-part/spectators

To apply for tickets for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the first step is to register via the official website: http://ingressos.rio2016.com/rio2016.html?language=en

Ticket prices for all the events, including opening and closing ceremonies, can be found here:http://www.rio2016.com/sites/default/files/users/rio2016_files/tkt_olympicticketprices_201501_eng.pdf

Each ATR will have its own sales process and fans should seek this information from the company that will sell tickets in their territory. Any ATRs who are approved after March 31^st, will be added to the list subsequently.

Brazilian residents will be able to apply to buy tickets directly from the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee on March 31^st, when registration for the first of two random draws will open.

In total, about 7.5 million tickets for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games will be put on sale. For full details of the ticket sales process, visitwww.rio2016.com/tickets.

Information about ticket sales for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games will be announced by the end of June.

To help you plan your schedule, rio2016.com has produced a series of articles, one on each of the Games zones, outlining the ticket options for each venue.

Barra: the heart of the Rio 2016 Games

Deodoro: ‘Elegance and calm’ meets ‘fast and loud’

Maracanã: iconic venues and samba spirit

Copacabana: open-air sports and stunning scenery