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Athletes are to receive advice in the build-up to this year's Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro due to concerns regarding the Zika virus outbreak in Brazil. Cases of the virus, which is spread by mosquitoes, have boomed in recent months, with infected patients typically suffering symptoms including fevers, rashes, joint pain and conjunctivitis.
Last week, the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that pregnant women and those trying to become pregnant should not travel to areas currently affected by the outbreak. Pregnant women have been deemed at risk with the virus being linked to a rise in the number of children being born with birth defects. It came after 3,893 cases of microcephaly, which can lead to babies being born with small heads and under-developed brains, were reported in Brazil between October 2015 and January 2016.
