As the Zika virus continues to make headlines all over the world, local organizers of the upcoming Olympics 2016 in Rio, Brazil are issuing statements and reports to allay the fears of visitors to the country. They have also enlisted the World Health Organization to their cause (WHO) as the said institution also releases dispatches on the virus and people can prevent infection.
The WHO has even declared that Brazil is safe for visitors despite the presence of Zika. The standing order, however, is for visitors to avoid the more impoverished areas where the virus is more active because of poor sanitation conditions. Travelles to affected areas should take appropriate precautions.
According to reports from PBS NewsHour, many Brazilians are pinning their hopes on the Rio Olympics because the international event will bring in thousands of tourists, and with them, income for local businesses.
Many observers have already floated the argument that the games should be moved until such a time when the virus has been eradicated. Earlier, some 234 scientists and global health experts addressed the WHO in a petition calling for the cancelation, postponement or transfer to another venue of the Rio Olympics. They argued that 500,000 foreign tourists from all countries are expected to attend the Games, and they are all at risk to contract the virus.
But Brazilian authorities say that there is no need to move or cancel the Olympics.
According to a local doctor Viviane dos Santos, there has been a noticeable and very positive decline in the number of monitored Zika cases. She said that in previous months, there were more mosquitoes in Rio and this accounted for the high number of infection cases. Now, there has been a decline in only one case every 15 days when before they monitored 10 cases every week.
Rio mayor, Eduardo Paes has also been quoted as saying that the seasonal decrease in mosquitoes will halt the spread of the virus. He also pledged his government's full efforts to protect tourists and visitors against Zika by continuing to disseminate information regarding how it is spread and how it can be affected.
Among the warnings are specifically directed to pregnant women and sexually active individuals. Zika is also spread through sexual contact with an infected person.
