Zika and the Olympics — Should you be bothered?

The latest outbreak of Zika virus has wrought devastation on families and threatens public health, right on the heels of Ebola. This August and September, Brazil, where more than 90% of the cases originated, hosts a nutrition summit, the Olympics and Paralympics. A committee of the World Health Organisation which advises on emergencies and has […]

The latest outbreak of Zika virus has wrought devastation on families and threatens public health, right on the heels of Ebola.

This August and September, Brazil, where more than 90% of the cases originated, hosts a nutrition summit, the Olympics and Paralympics.

A committee of the World Health Organisation which advises on emergencies and has been meeting over Zika since it started noted last week that “mass gathering gatherings, such as the Olympic and Paralympic Games, can bring together substantial numbers of susceptible individuals, and can pose a risk to the individuals themselves, can result in the amplification of transmission and can, potentially, contribute to the international spread of a communicable disease depending on its epidemiology, the risk factors present and the mitigation strategies that are in place.

As for Zika, the committee said, “individual risks in areas of transmission are the same whether or not a mass gathering is conducted, and can be minimized by good public health measures.”

Dr Ernest Ekong is head of clinical medical services at the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria, and tells Daily Trust, “Persons who are planning to attend the Olympics should not be bothered.”

Brazil has seen about a thousand cases of microcephaly is and thought to be the epicentre of the present Zika virus epidemic. With the Olympics there in August, should Nigerians and the rest of the world be concerned?

Persons who are planning to attend the Olympics should not bothered. This is because the main way Zika is spread from person to person is through mosquitoes, which act as a vector for the virus. Zika is unlikely to be an issue in Rio is because August there is cooler and dryer — and  not favourable to mosquitoes.

It’s going to be winter [during the Olympics], so the risk is going to be low in terms of mosquito transmission. Mosquito season there runs during its (Southern Hemisphere) summer, from about November or December to March. These are also the months with the most rainfall.

Apart from this, Rio de Janeiro also happens to be far from the highest area of concentration of the Zika outbreak in northeastern Brazil (where more than 90 percent of confirmed Zika cases originated).

People who travel to Brazil for the Olympics are likely to spend most of their time in Olympic venues in Rio that have already been heavily treated with insecticide to control mosquito breeding.

What should concern the public about Zika virus contraction and transmission?

Because Zika is mainly spread by mosquito bites, preventing mosquito bites will help prevent Zika, and since Zika can also be spread through sex, people should also not have unprotected sex with a man who lives in or has recently traveled to a country with endemic Zika.

The mosquitoes that spread Zika usually do not live at elevations above 6,500 feet (2,000 meters). Travellers who plan to be only in areas above this elevation are at a very low risk of getting Zika from a mosquito.

Are there particular measures you can recommend for individuals to prevent exposure or infection?

Whenever possible, during the day, people should protect themselves from mosquito bites by using insect repellents and by wearing clothing – preferably light-coloured – that covers as much of the body as possible; [safe] sex should be practised (e.g. correct and consistent use of condoms) or abstention from sex during their stay and for at least 8 weeks after their return, particularly if they have had or are experiencing symptoms of Zika virus.

Also pregnant women should not travel to areas with ongoing Zika virus transmission. This includes Rio de Janeiro, the capital of Brazil. Pregnant women’s sex partners returning from areas with circulating virus are counselled to practice safer sex or abstain throughout the pregnancy.

What symptoms should be public look out for?

 Zika virus disease (Zika) is a disease caused by the Zika virus, which is spread to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes).

The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week after being bitten by an infected mosquito. People usually don’t get sick enough to go to the hospital, and they very rarely die of Zika.

For this reason, many people might not realize they have been infected. However, Zika virus infection during pregnancy can cause a serious birth defect called microcephaly, as well as other severe foetal brain defects.

Is there any issue about Zika in the light of public health that is being overlooked?

Once a person has been infected, he or she is likely to be protected from future infections. In the Americas, where Zika was newly introduced, it spread quickly because the local population was not immune or protected from future infections. A population only becomes immune after a substantial proportion of people have been infected with the virus.