Galaxy

17 Jul 2016

Rio Olympic: Athletes, Officials and Fans could spread Zika virus disease- British expert has warned

Dr Sam Allen, an expert on infectious diseases, has warned all visitors to Rio could be in danger of contracting it.
A string of athletes - including golfer Rory McIlroy and tennis ace Milos Raonic - have pulled out of the Games due to the mosquito-borne virus.
It can cause birth defects in babies, including tots being born with tiny heads.
Dr Allen, 49, said: “The worry is that with the Rio Olympics less than a month away many athletes and travelling fans could be exposed and might carry this disease to other parts of the world.
“We are now seeing an unusually high number of babies being born with small heads in this region.
“It is now recognised as a serious complication of the Zika virus disease.
“And it is also reported that it can be transmitted from a carrier to a partner through sex.”
The first female-to-male transmission of the disease through unprotected sex was seen in the US last week. A woman in her 20s who returned home from a Zika-hit area infected her partner.
More than 1,600 cases have been confirmed in Brazil and it has spread to Central America and the Caribbean. There is no known cure for Zika, which has affected thousands of mums and babies in South America.
Tennis stars Simona Halep and Raonic are the latest to drop out of Rio 2016. Official advice from the World Health Organisation states Olympic fans should practise safe sex and use strong insect repellent.
Dr Allen, joined a team of medics on a 1200-mile expedition across South America, which has seen more than 35,000 cases of Zika, earlier this month.
A consultant in infectious diseases at Kilmarnock Crosshouse Hospital, he says knowledge gained over the past two years in tackling the Ebola virus may now help to develop a cure for the Zika.
His group was catching mosquitoes and assessing mothers and children in the run-up to the Games which start on August 5.
Researchers at the University of Sao Paulo claim the Olympics would result in no more than 16 additional cases of the disease.
But the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared Zika’s renewed spread a global health emergency when it started becoming clear that the mosquito-borne virus was causing severe birth defects last November.
It has now reached 39 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean and is also spreading in south east Asia and the Pacific.
More than 200 scientists asked for the Games to be moved or postponed over Zika last month.
In an open letter to WHO, the scientists argued new scientific findings made it “unethical” for the Games to go ahead.
But Olympic chiefs stressed the risk of catching the virus in August remains low.

Bastille Day: Idris Elba movie pulled from cinemas in France in wake of lorry attack in Nice

Idris Elba's latest movie Bastille Day has been pulled from cinemas in France in the wake of the lorry attack in Nice that left 84 dead and many more injured.
The film, which involves a terrorist plot to bomb Paris, was released in France on Wednesday.
The attack came on Thursday in Nice as locals and tourists celebrated Bastille Day. Islamic State has claimed responsibility.
According to Variety, production and distribution company Studiocanal pulled advertisements for the film on Friday out of respect to the victims, but on Saturday they asked cinemas to stop screening the film altogether.

Gareth Bale announces engagement to girlfriend Emma Rhys-Jones...She said yes


Real Madrid superstar Gareth Bale has announced his engagement to long-term girlfriend Emma Rhys-Jones.
The Welshman, who celebrated his 27th birthday yesterday, revealed the happy news on Twitter following his exploits in Euro 2016.
Bale tweeted: "She said yes!! This is a birthday weekend I won't forget for a long time."
He is pictured in a collage with Emma holding up her hand to show off her engagement ring, while the pair are also seen with friends.
Bale has two children with high-school sweetheart Rhys-Jones and has now announced the pair's intention to tie the knot.
Their first child, Alba Violet, was born in Cardiff in October 2012. They had another daughter, Nava Valentine, in March this year.
Despite the duo leaving in Madrid where Bale plays his club football, their second child was also born in the Welsh capital of Cardiff.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...