175 days remained before the Rio Summer Olympics but the organizers are bothered with a new problem named Zika virus.

These days the National Olympic Committee of Armenia has also been deluged with the questions about possible threats, our country’s participation and taken measures.

For giving answers to these questions the NOC of Armenia organized a meeting with the head of department of the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Ministry of Health, Lusine Paronyan and sports medicine doctors of Armenia.

Lusine Paronyan first described Zika virus and gave several tips to those who are going to Rio.
“Zika virus is transmitted by mosquito called Zika and is especially dangerous for pregnant women. It is recommended to choose good air-conditioned hotels and wear long-sleeved, light-colored shirts. The incubation period of Zika virus is likely to be a few days to a week. Its symptoms are similar to flu symptoms. It can’t be passed from person to person. There is a hypothesis that it can be transmitted through sexual contact”.

Secretary General of the NOC of Armenia, Hrachya Rostomyan noted that the stir related with Zika virus is inflated.
“I don’t deny the existence of the virus but discussions and stir about it are really inflated. It’s not a secret that such viruses “appear” from time to time but then some pharmaceutical company "detects” a preventive vaccine and advertises itself. It is hard to imagine a greater PR platform than the Olympics. In the history of independent Armenia we have never had such a potential team (ed. it refers to the Armenian participants of the Rio Olympics) and no kind of virus can impede our participation. Armenia’s NOC President Gagik Tsarukyan said that he is ready to support and allocate resources for Armenia’s sports delegation traveling to Rio to undergo medical examination and receive all the vaccinations, even if it will be necessary to carry out in Germany, France or other country”.

Photos here

ANOC press office