The medical director of the Australian Olympic team has played down concerns over the risk of an Australian athlete contracting Zika virus while competing in the Rio Olympics later this year.
The mosquito-borne virus has spread throughout Latin America, including Brazil, raising concerns for the safety of athletes travelling to the country for the games.
But the Australian team’s medical director Dr David Hughes said the risk of an Australian Olympian contracting Zika is very low.
“I expect very few if any of the Australian Olympic team to be exposed to the Zika virus, and the vast majority of the Australian Olympic team will be returning to the southern parts of Australia where the mosquito that carries the Zika virus, it’s just not viable,” Dr Hughes said.
He said the symptoms and risks associated with contracting Zika were mild for those not pregnant or trying to get pregnant.
The risk of transmission of the virus in Australia if it was brought back from Rio by a member of the Olympic team is very small, given the mosquitoes that transmit the virus only live in far north Queensland, Dr Hughes said.
“Zika for the healthy Australian Olympic team going into Rio is something that they can avoid if they take all the simple, but necessary, precautions that we have outlined in the health advisory that we’ve circulated to every member of the Australian Olympic team,” he said.
Dr Hughes said while the risk of contracting Zika was relatively low for the Australian Olympic team, the threat it posed to the host nation of the games was of continuing concern to medical bodies worldwide.
“Whenever I talk about Zika I try to be a bit mindful and respectful of the fact the Brazilian people are facing a significant health challenge they can’t escape from,” he said.
“Our team is going to be flying in there for three weeks and then leaving.”
Contaminated water a ‘concern’
Dr Hughes said other health issues were of continuing concern to officials in the lead up to the games, including the water quality in some water sports Olympic facilities in Rio.
“There’s no doubt the water there, at the time of the Olympics, will still be far more contaminated than what sailors are used to sailing on elsewhere, and certainly what they’re used to sailing on in Australia,” Dr Hughes said.
“We have cases recorded of Australian athletes being in Rio for test events, becoming unwell because of contact with the contaminated water.”
Dr Hughes said specific protocols were in place for treating any Australian athlete showing signs of being unwell after contact with contaminated water.