Zika Virus Prompts Examination of Whether to Hold Olympics in Rio

The World Health Organization (WHO) will organize a special committee to assess whether it is safe to hold the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro amid Zika virus concerns, World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Margaret Chan said.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – A committee of international health experts is being tasked with examining whether the Summer Olympics should be held this August in Brazil as scheduled because of the Zika virus epidemic, Chan has said in a letter to US Senator Jeanne Shaheen.

"Given the current level of international concern, I have decided to ask members of the Zika Emergency Committee to examine the risks of holding the Olympic Summer Games as currently scheduled," Chan said in a Friday statement, as quoted by CBS.

According to the WHO director general, the exact date of the committee meeting will be announced next week.

On Thursday, Brazilian Ambassador to Russia Antonio Jose Vallim Guerreiro said that his country is implementing exceptional measures to protect the visitors of the upcoming 2016 Summer Olympic Games from the Zika virus.

The Zika virus is transmitted by daytime-active mosquitoes. It does not cause serious complications in adults but is suspected to cause severe brain defects and microcephaly in newborns.

The current Zika outbreak originated in Brazil in the spring of 2015.

Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro will host the 2016 Summer Olympic Games on August 5-21.