Headed to the Olympics? Read This!

With the Olympic games just around the corner, what seems to be the buzzing topic is the mosquitoes and the spread of the Zika virus. One would think that all of the chatter would be about the athletes, how long they have prepared for this once in a lifetime opportunity and so on. But, safety is a top concern when traveling anywhere in the world. Here at Safetec – we want to do our best to keep you informed.

The Wall Street Journal published the below image detailing the areas where Zika-bearing mosquitoes will thrive. Rio de Janeiro has certainly been a hot spot – even though it has been on a decline as their winter months approach.

The World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the International Olympic Committee say there is only a remote chance that any of the expected 500,000 tourists and 10,000 athletes could acquire the virus and carry it home.

The Division of Global Migration and Quarantine at the CDC told The Wall Street Journal in a statement that while “globalization is the main driver” of the spread of Zika, “the relative contribution of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio is, proportionally, a very small part of that risk.”

“Prevention will be key…We must maximize the use of today’s tools to reduce the mosquitoes that can spread Zika.” -CDC Director, Tom Frieden, MD

Source: https://www.wsj.com/articles/brazil-aims-to-calm-zika-worries-ahead-of-olympics-1470187903