Brazil Announces Plans to Prevent Zika Virus at Olympics
The Brazilian government has announced plans to curb the spread of the Zika virus during the upcoming Summer Olympic Games, which will be held in Rio de Janeiro.
The Zika virus, which is carried by mosquitoes, has recently become a major concern for Latin American nations.
As previously reported, the British biotechnology company Intrexon Corporation has recently announced the opening of a new factory in Brazil, which will produce sterile, genetically modified mosquitoes in an effort to combat mosquito-born viruses in the region.
Brazil has experienced the largest outbreak of Zika in Latin America.
As the BBC reports, four months before the summer games begin, officials will start inspecting Olympic facilities for breeding grounds where mosquitoes might thrive. When the games take place, sweeps to counter the bugs will occur on a daily basis.
Fumigation, however, will happen on a case-by-case basis, due to the dangers that the pesticides might pose to athletes and spectators alike.
According to Brazil’s health ministry, the summer games will take place in the relatively cool and dry month of August, decreasing the chances of people coming in contact with mosquitoes.
The BBC also reports the World Health Organization has warned that the Zika virus, for which there is no treatment, will likely spread across all of the Americas. The infection has already been found in 21 countries in both North and South America.
A statement from the Pan American Health Organization indicates that the organization expects the Zika virus to spread soon.
"PAHO anticipates that Zika virus will continue to spread and will likely reach all countries and territories of the region where Aedes mosquitoes are found," the organization said.
The PAHO is asking that visitors take precautions against mosquitoes. The nations of Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador and Jamaica have gone further, recommending that women postpone getting pregnant until more information on the virus is known.