With the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro just more than six months away, the U.S. Olympic Committee is monitoring developments regarding the spread of the Zika virus in South America.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a travel warning earlier this month, advising pregnant women to avoid travel to countries there because the mosquito-borne virus has been linked to birth defects. According to the World Health Organization, it has spread to 21 countries, including Brazil, since May.
“We are closely monitoring the situation through the CDC and have ongoing contact with the International Olympic Committee, the organizing officials in Rio, the World Health Organization and infectious disease specialists with expertise in tropical diseases, including the Zika virus,” USOC spokesman Patrick Sandusky said.