Going to the Olympics? Zika isn’t your only concern! From flu and diarrhea to other tropical viruses are
Going to the Olympics? Zika isn’t your only concern! From flu and diarrhea to other tropical viruses are
Now that the Olympic Games are on the way in Brazil, there are a few thing you need to be aware of. For example: How YOU can avoid these common health risks in Rio de Janeiro?
Traveling to the Olympics? Don’t let illnesses meddle with your fun.
Roughly half a million people from around the world are expected to travel to the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
And while Zika is in the spotlight, there are other bugs and health problems that Olympic athletes and spectators should keep in mind.
What’s the biggest threat? Health experts say the most likely cause of death or serious harm to travelers everywhere is injuries from car accident, falls, crime or other mishaps.
But that’s not what’s on the minds of people headed to the Olympics, said Dr. Nicholas Van Sickels, associate director of Tulane University’s travel medicine clinic in New Orleans.
‘Zika is what brings them in the door,’ Van Sickels said of recent clinic visitors.
A look at those health problems, and what athletes and travelers can do about them.
HOW BIG A THREAT IS ZIKA?
The risk of getting sick from Zika is low, especially compared to other illnesses that a visitor to Rio might suffer.
It’s winter in Brazil; a time when mosquitoes that spread the virus are at a low ebb.
But for mothers-to-be, the stakes are very high because an infection during pregnancy can cause serious birth defects. That’s why pregnant women have been told to stay away.
BUT HOW CAN I AVOID ZIKA?
The virus is mainly spread by tropical mosquitoes, though it also can be transmitted through sex.
Travelers can protect themselves from mosquito bites by, among other things, wearing long sleeves and long pants and using insect repellents.
Also, stay in places with air conditioning or that use window and door screens, the CDC suggests.
WHAT ELSE COULD MAKE ME SICK?
If a traveler to the Olympics gets sick, it’s most likely from drinking water or eating under-cooked or unclean food, said Dr. Martin Cetron of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Food should be peeled, boiled or cooked.
Avoid food from street vendors, and fruits and vegetables that have not been thoroughly washed, experts suggest.
Drink bottled water or beverages. 
And maybe pack some medicine for diarrhea, Cetron said.
Some swimming areas in Rio are contaminated with sewage, and the CDC advises avoiding swallowing mouthfuls of water and staying away from beaches with warning signs.
ANYTHING ELSE?
It’s flu season in the Southern Hemisphere, so expect that people in Rio may be sneezing or coughing and spreading flu germs.
Flu and other respiratory illnesses are probably the second most common thing travelers to the Olympics will get, Cetron said.
Wash your hands and drink lots of uncontaminated fluids, experts say
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3718207/Going-Olympics-Zika-isn-t-concern-flu-diarrhea-tropical-viruses-avoid-common-health-risks-Rio-Janeiro.html#ixzz4G6med4C1
