As Canada’s Olympic hopefuls enter their final months of preparations for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the eyes of the world including World Health Organization officials are monitoring an outbreak of a mosquito-borne virus in the South American nation.

The Zika virus is of greatest concern to expectant mothers, especially those in the early stages of pregnancy, and the virus is suspected to be linked to a recent increase in infants born with microcephaly, a condition where skulls and brains are underdeveloped.

At WinSport Canada, national team members are not allowing the outbreak to interrupt their training regiments.

Jasmine Mian, a Canadian Olympic Team Wrestler who lives and trains in Calgary, qualified to represent Canada in Rio after emerging victorious in her weight class during December’s Olympic trials.

“I’ve been wrestling for 13 years now and I’ve wanted to go to the Olympics for so long,” said Mian. “I thought that I had a realistic shot at 2016 but it was going to be challenging for me because I had two former world medalists in my weight class. Canada’s really strong in women’s wrestling.”

Fellow wrestler Erica Wiebe of Calgary is one step away from qualifying for the Olympics, a spot she hopes to secure with a top-two finish at the upcoming Pan-Am qualifier in Texas.

Mian and Wiebe received a preview of the Olympic experience in January as they were part of a group that travelled to Brazil to participate in an Olympic test run held in the Olympic venues.

“It was really amazing to be in Rio and to be walking out to my match in my competition and being like ‘Okay, I’m going to be here in August and it’s going to be the real thing’,” beamed Mian.

Their trip coincided with growing international concerns over the Zika virus and the wrestlers suffered numerous mosquito bites during their time in Brazil’s summer conditions.

““When we were in Rio we were very conscientious of what we were doing and where we were going,” recalls Wiebe. “ I felt very confident about it.”

Canadian athletes travelling abroad have valuable tools at their disposal.

“We’re appropriately briefed by the C.O.C. (Canadian Olympic Committee) about the threats of Zika virus,” explained Mian. “We, as athletes, are probably a more prepared kind of traveller because we travel with a full medical team and staff. They’re always there making sure that we’re taking the appropriate precautions.”

“We’re taking all the necessary precautions,” adds Wiebe. “We’re very lucky that we actually train and compete inside in Rio so it’s less of a risk then the runners who are outside all of the time.”

Bonnie Meatherall, an assistant professor with the University of Calgary’s department of medicine and an expert on infectious diseases, says Zika virus is unlikely to result in serious medical concerns for healthy, non-pregnant patients.

“Zika virus in an otherwise healthy person can be anywhere from asymptomatic, a lot of cases due appear to be asymptomatic, to a febrile illness that usually consists of a fairly sudden onset fever, headache, rash and joint pains,” explains Meatherall.

Meatherall says the breed of mosquito that transmits the Zika virus, the aedea aegypti, also transmits Dengue fever and Chikungunya, diseases known to circulate in Brazil and throughout South America.

“None of these diseases have vaccines currently or any specific treatment so really the only thing that people can do to protect themselves from these diseases is to avoid mosquito bites,” said Meatherall.

Meatherall says athletes and visitors to South America should take precautionary measures to avoid being bit by aedea aegypti, a breed that tends to live in rural areas and bites during the day, including:

  • Long sleeved clothing
  • Closed toes shoes
  • Mosquito repellant containing DEET (which is safe during pregnancy)
  • Staying indoors in air conditioned/screened environments

Mian says hazards are a common occurrence in the life of an international athlete.

“There’s always a risk when you travel internationally,” said Mian. “Last week I was in Brazil and it was the Zika virus, next week I’m heading to Ukraine and there’s a lot of political unrest there.”

The Opening Ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games is scheduled for August 5, 2016.