Zika Virus Raises Concerns Over Olympic Games

Zika Virus Raises Concerns Over Olympic Games

The Olympic Games are a time to stand behind your country and marvel at the incredible athleticism and talent of participating athletes. But the 2016 Olympic Games, which are to be held in Brazil, are raising major concerns due to the Zika virus.

That’s because Brazil is a known Zika “hot-spot,” meaning the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which carries and transmits the virus, is prevalent in the region.

What’s more—it’s been reported that a woman who lives less that two miles from Olympic Park (where the majority of the games will be held) contracted the virus.

“I was meeting a client when I was bitten,” Fatima Teresa Goncalves dos Santos, 47, said through a translator. “It was in Barra da Tijuca, which is very close to where some of the Olympic stadiums are.”

This news will surely increase the fears of many spectators, and even athletes participating in the games, who are worried about Zika. The virus is primarily a concern for pregnant women due to the suspected link to microcephaly, a very serious birth defect in babies.

What do you think? Would concerns about the Zika virus keep you from attending the 2016 Olympics in Brazil?

We are staying up to date on all the Zika related news, and encourage you to check out our mosquito control services.