The World Health Organization (WHO) updated its guidelines on prevention of the Zika virus in recognition of evidence that the disease persists in the body and can be transmitted sexually for much longer than originally thought.
WHO is now recommending that women who travel to an area of the world affected by the disease, which has been linked to birth defects in babies born to infected women, should wait at least eight weeks before trying to conceive. By that time, the group estimates, the virus will have cleared the body and no longer present a risk to a future baby.
The recommendation comes after a number of health experts penned a public letter to WHO saying the Olympics planned to be held Rio de Janeiro this summer should be postponed or moved to a new location in response to the disease. Brazil has been hit harder by the disease than any other country.
Recommended For You
The letter, authored by four professors of health from New York University, the University of Ottawa, and the University of Zurich, stated that the health risks presented by the rapidly-spreading virus, outweigh the potential economic damage that moving or delaying the event would cause.
As of Tuesday afternoon, 188 additional health leaders, mostly professors, had signed the letter in support.
WHO has not budged from its original position that the Olympics can proceed as planned.
"Based on current assessment, cancelling or changing the location of the 2016 Olympics will not significantly alter the international spread of Zika virus," said a statement released by the organization on Saturday.
Instead, WHO said that tourists visiting Brazil should be advised to exercise caution by protecting themselves against mosquitoes and avoiding unprotected sex.
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
