None of the 457 athletes and staff members examined upon their returns from the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were affected by the Zika virus, but 32 of them tested positive for other mosquito-borne maladies.
The 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil came with great concerns about athletes and staff contracting the Zika virus, which can be spread through mosquitoes.
Though none of the 457 individuals examined upon their returns were affected by that particular illness, 32 of them tested positive for other mosquito-borne maladies, according to a University of Utah Health-led study.
West Nile virus was the most common, affecting 27 individuals, a press release issued by the university on Saturday noted.
Three exhibited evidence of chikungunya and two turned up with dengue.
Some symptoms such as rashes and body aches were reported, but said to be only mild.
“We were thrilled that there were no cases of Zika," Carrie Byington, the lead investigator in the testing effort, commented. "One of the reasons we think that post travel diagnostics is really important is because multiple things can cause a similar picture and it's important to know what you had."
NPR spoke with Amir Attaran, a public health professor, who pointed out that the test results should still be a cause for concern.
“If you think about it, the athletes are likely the least affected," Attaran said. "They and their support crew stayed in the Olympic village — and that's as good as mosquito control got. So, if you're picking up in this study 32 cases of some mosquito-borne illness among the most coddled group during the Olympics, what does that tell you about the rest?"
