2016 Olympics (Rio de Janeiro): Risk of Importing Zika Virus
- SitiTalkBlog
- Jul 16, 2016
- 1 min read
Information source: CNBC
Zika is transmitted primarily through mosquito bites and has been linked to congenital microcephaly and other serious brain defects among babies born to mothers who had the virus.
In a CDC Report released, the CDC looked at the potential for countries to import Zika via a traveler to the games."Whereas all countries are at risk for travel-associated importation of Zika virus, CDC estimated that 19 countries currently not reporting Zika outbreaks have the environmental conditions and population susceptibility to sustain mosquito-borne transmission of Zika virus if a case were imported from infection at the games," according to the report.
Of these 19, 15 countries are not expected to see a substantial increase in risk for importation above the usual baseline for travel by air to Zika-affected countries. But four — Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, and Yemen — share a unique factor: their residents do not travel in substantial numbers to any country with local Zika virus transmission except for planned travel to the games.
Basically, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea and Yemen have a unique risk of importing the virus from the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro that will begin Aug. 5, the CDC found in a report published Wednesday.
