Brazilian authorities have urged pregnant women not to go to the Olympics because of a virus Zika – TASS

Rio de Janeiro, February 2. / Correspondent. TASS Darya St. George /. Pregnant women should give up the visit of the Olympic Games to be held in August in Rio de Janeiro, due to the spread of a dangerous virus Zika. This was announced on Monday the head of the Civil Office of the President of Brazil Zhakis Wagner.

“The risk that I would call serious concerns for pregnant women. It is obvious that it is not recommended (arriving in Rio de Janeiro during the Olympics ) if they do not want this at risk, “- he said.

At the end of November 2015 in the Ministry of Health of Brazil said that the infection fever Zeke during pregnancy causes the child microcephaly – a birth defect, which is a significant decrease in the size of the skull and can be accompanied by mental retardation, neurotic disorders, hearing and vision. According to recent reports, October 22 (when the authorities started to conduct relevant statistics) to 23 January in the largest South American country registered 4,180 possible cases of microcephaly in infants.

However, Wagner stressed that the spread of the virus that causes fever Zeke will not lead to the cancellation of the Olympics. In his opinion, it is essential to clarify the athletes, fans and tourists that the disease poses a threat for only one group of people.

“If we are not talking about a pregnant woman, the risk of serious complications zero” – the official said.

Vaccine development will take three to five years

Wagner also said that the Brazilian and American scientists will work together on a vaccine against the virus Zika. The composition of the research group will include representatives of the US National Institutes of Health and the Brazilian Institute of Butantan biomedical center. According to the official, the initiative of the President of Brazil Dilma Rousseff discussed Friday during a telephone conversation with the head of the White House Barack Obama.

“According to experts, in the development of a vaccine will take at least three years. It may be three year or four – are the average time needed to create such a product. If we’re lucky, we shall be about three years. But it is possible that the work on the vaccine will be from three to five years “- said Wagner. In turn, Brazilian media reported that the first studies aimed at establishing the drug will begin in two weeks.

Dilma Rousseff is preparing an appeal to the nation

As it became known, no later than February 3 Dilma Rousseff President of Brazil made a special appeal to the nation due to the spread of the virus Zika. According to Wagner, the purpose of this speech – to explain to people that the only effective measure at present is to eliminate likely breeding sites komarov- carriers of the virus. The representative of the presidential office said that the appeal will be broadcast on television and radio.

Earlier Monday, Rousseff met with the ministers of the federal government and heads of state-owned companies, which has also been devoted to the development of measures to counter the spread of the virus Zika.

It was first identified in 1947 in Uganda. Clinical signs of the disease – a slight fever, chills, headaches, joint pain and back pain, skin rash, fatigue. Until recently, the virus Zika was considered harmless to humans. Its carriers, as in the case of dengue and chikungunya are mosquito Aedes Aegypti.