Brazil assures risk of Zika spreading during Olympics "is minimal"

Brazil's government assured on Friday that the risk of illnesses transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito spreading during the Olympic and Paralympic Games "is minimal" and it confirmed that between February and May the number of Zika cases decreased by 87 percent.

Between February and May the highest levels of Zika were seen the third week of February with 16,059 cases said Health Minister, Ricardo Barros, during a meeting with foreign media in Rio de Janeiro. However, in the first week of May, the number of cases fell to 2,053, added the minister.

"According to a study released by the University of Cambridge (England), it is estimated that there will be less than one person infected out of all the 500,000 tourists that are expected to attend the Olympics," said the government official.

Barros assured that due to the fact that the Olympics are taking place in Brazil's winter and due to the concentrated fight against the mosquito in Rio de Janeiro, the risk of catching the virus is minimal.

Baros highlighted that the Olympic Games will have 2,500 people working in the health area and all the athletes will have repellent, specific clothes and the necessary materials to properly face the mosquito.

The Rio Games will take place in August, right in the middle of austral winter which is when there are less mosquitoes.

The Brazilian Health Minister reminded that during the World Cup 2014, many people were scared to travel to Brazil due to tropical diseases.

"During the World Cup, only three cases (of tropical diseases) were registered among tourists. The statistics show that the period of the Games isn't endemic. This is mainly due to the fact that in winter rain is less frequent which makes it difficult for mosquitoes to breed," said Barros.

Barros added that the Brazilian government have invested 64.5 million reais (around 18.8 million U.S. dollars) on the state of Rio de Janeiro's health network. Endit