UK-BASED travel safety and risk management company beTravelwise has issued a Zika prevention advisory ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympics which officially kicks off on August 5 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the origin of the Zika virus outbreak.
“Slap on the mosquito repellent and practice safe sex or abstain completely if you want to stay safe this summer,” the company warned in a statement.
Said beTravelwise director Andy Prior: “Mosquito bite prevention and safe or no sex is the best defence against the Zika virus; that’s the advice we are giving to our clients who are travelling to the Olympic Games or other Zika-infected areas.”
The travel safety specialist has come up with six methods to prevent mosquito bites. This includes covering exposed skin with long sleeves, trousers and socks; using insect repellent formulas with at least 30 per cent DEET (diethyltoluamide); spraying the room with repellant before sleep; sleeping in a screened room; and using a mosquito net.
The Zika virus is known to cause microcephaly, a birth defect resulting in developmental problems in babies. It can also lead to the rare neurological disorder, Guillain-Barre syndrome, according to the World Health Organisation. Pregnant women and those planning pregnancy are advised against all non-essential travel to Zika-infected areas.
