BERLIN (AP) — The World Health Organization said there is “no public health justification” for postponing or canceling the Rio Olympics because of the Zika outbreak.
The assessment, in a statement early Saturday, came after 150 health experts issued an open letter to the U.N. health agency calling for the Games to be delayed or relocated “in the name of public health.”
Friday’s letter cited recent scientific evidence that the Zika virus causes severe birth defects, most notably babies born with abnormally small heads. In adults, it can cause neurological problems, including a rare syndrome that can be fatal or result in temporary paralysis.