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 "They are concerned and are being given advice on how to proceed,"
Cassius Duran, a former Brazilian diver, told reporters at the
inauguration of the remodeled Maria Lenk Aquatic Center, where the
Olympic diving will be held in August.
Duran said organizers were telling athletes to use repellents to
protect themselves against mosquito bites, the primary means of
transmission of the virus.
The test event, which runs from Feb. 19 to 24, is a stage of the
Diving World Cup and 270 athletes from 50 countries are due to
compete.
Athletes and visitors planning to come to the Olympics have
expressed concern about Zika, a virus linked to birth defects in
newborns, which has been reported in more than 30 countries,
according to the World Health Organization.
U.S. tennis player John Isner said on Friday that he was taking
precautions before the Rio Open scheduled to begin on Monday, but
said he was not very worried and had no intention of skipping the
Olympics because of Zika.
"This will not be a reason to not go to the Games," said Isner,
ranked No. 12 in the world and No. 1 in the United States. "In six
months, I think they will have this well under control."
Brazil late on Friday said it was investigating the potential link
between Zika infections and 4,314 suspected cases of microcephaly, a
condition marked by abnormally small head size that can result in
developmental problems.
Of those cases, 462 were confirmed as microcephaly and 41 were
determined to be linked to the Zika virus.
On Friday, British researchers reported that Zika virus can be
detected in semen for 62 days after a person is infected, adding to
evidence of the virus’s presence in fetal brain tissue, placenta and
amniotic fluid.
[to top of second column] |
Olympic organizers previously said the games would be held during
Rio's winter when there tends to be fewer mosquitoes. However, a
Reuters report this week showed there was not always a decline in
mosquito-borne infections during that season.
Rio's Mayor Eduardo Paes said the city was pulling out all stops to
ensure the safety of athletes.
"We are doing everything to avoid any type of danger for any of the
athletes who come," he said.
"There is a Zika problem, but I think there is also a certain amount
of exaggeration and ignorance. It is this that frightens more than
the virus itself," he said.
(Adds details on suspected cases of microcephaly, information from
British researchers and comment by U.S. tennis player John Isner,
paragraphs 6-10)
(Reporting by Pedro Fonseca; Writing by Stephen Eisenhammer; Editing
by Toni Reinhold)
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