Brazil ready to confront Zika virus ahead of the Rio Olympics Games

On February 1, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the Zika virus an international public health emergency. The announcement follows the declaration by Brazil of a national health emergency.

The Zika virus disease, relatively unknown throughout the world, was identified for the first time in Brazil in 2015. According to the WHO, since last year, 24 other countries and territories of the Americas have been affected by the Zika virus.

The WHO declaration will allow for better coordination of actions and mobilisation of funding in a global effort aimed at preventing the spread of the virus, as well as speeding up research to develop a vaccine and new therapeutic drugs.

The Zika virus is transmitted by the same vector that transmits dengue and chikungunya, the Aedes aegypti. There is no scientific proof regarding the transmission of the disease other than by infected mosquito bite. The disease’s symptoms, generally lasting two to seven days after contamination, are similar to those associated with a flu in adults: fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain.

At the end of 2015, for the first time, Brazilian authorities encountered a possible association between the contamination of women by the Zika virus during pregnancy and the birth of babies with microcephaly, a serious congenital condition in which the brain does not develop properly.

For the moment, however, more data and standardised protocols are needed before the link between the virus and cases of microcephaly can be fully clarified. Of the suspected cases of microcephaly — which can be caused by a number of diseases — being studied currently in Brazil, only 17 have been found to have a link to Zika.

With its integrated universal public health care system, Brazil has reacted swiftly since the identification of the outbreak, with a view to understanding the virus, the manner that it appears and evolves, as well as the risk factors associated with it.

According to the WHO, currently the most important preventative measures are control of the mosquito populations and preventing mosquito bites for individuals at risk, particularly pregnant women.

The Government of Brazil has deployed 220,000 armed forces personnel from the Army, Navy and Air Force and 300,000 health agents and volunteers all over Brazil to combat breeding grounds.

Brazil has been congregating efforts of specialists in various areas of medicine from all over the world to carry out research. The Government has been coordinating the international effort for the production of a vaccine for the Zika virus, launched with the mobilisation of Latin American and Caribbean countries and in partnership with the United States.

A continuous dialogue with international bodies continues, for instance, with the WHO and the USA Centres for the Disease Control and Prevention (CDCs).

It should be noted that the WHO and the World Tourism Organisation have not issued any international travel or trade restrictions on account of the virus. While special care is advised for pregnant women, tourists and travellers bound for the regions affected by the Zika virus should take basic precautions.

As Brazil prepares for the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Government is working hard to rid the Rio de Janeiro region and the whole country of the Aedes aegypti. All construction areas of the Olympic venues are being regularly visited by environmental health officers to control any possible mosquito breeding sites. Any remaining reservoirs of the construction work will be removed and those that cannot be removed will be treated in order to avoid any appearance of mosquito breeding sites. Local staff will identify and eliminate possible breeding sites.

During the Games, all venues will be manned by at least one accredited environmental health officer. There will also be environmental health teams tasked with the control of mosquitoes in the whole region surrounding the competition and public gatherings areas. The Olympic Games will be held during the winter season, which is historically a period of low rainfall and mosquitoes.

Reactions based on misinformation may disrupt our daily lives without solving the problem. In the global fight against Zika, we should draw the right lessons to improve our fight against epidemics and tropical diseases. Brazil will continue to do its part with resolve and determination.