The Australian team's medical director said that "water quality will be more of a threat to the health of athletes and officials at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro" than the mosquito-borne zika virus, according to the AP. David Hughes said that cases of pregnancy aside, the zika virus "usually results in a mild infection, and 80 percent of those infected often do not get serious symptoms." Hughes said that the polluted waters of Guanabara Bay and aquatic venues for other Olympic events in August "were another matter when it comes to the threat of illness." Hughes: "If someone gets a nasty gastro-infection, vomiting and diarrhea, it's not ideal for competing in an Olympic environment." Hughes said that he had been contacted by several Australia athletes and officials in the past several days over the zika virus, "but none had indicated they would not travel to Brazil in August" (AP, 2/11).
ALLAYING FEARS: The AP's Wade & Passa reported seeking to allay fears over the zika outbreak, IOC Medical Dir Richard Budgett said that "everything that can be done is being done" to combat the virus. Budgett said that there "are no health warnings against traveling to Brazil, except for pregnant women," and stressed that "no consideration has been given to postponing or canceling the games." Budgett: "Our priority is to protect the health of the athletes. The IOC absolutely is not complacent. We do take this very seriously" (AP, 2/11).
