In the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil, there was a lot of discussion regarding the risk of contracting Zika virus for both spectators and athletes alike. The news appeared to be filled with countless stories and fears of contracting Zika virus. However, recent lab results from the University of Utah are suggesting that maybe Zika shouldn't have been getting as much attention in comparison to the viruses that were actually infecting people. Out of the 457 athletes and staff who gave blood samples, only 7% showed signs of becoming infected by any virus carried by mosquitoes. This includes Zika but also other viruses, such as West Nile Virus and Chikungunya. However, none of these tests showed Zika infections. Most of the participants actually appeared to have West Nile Virus, Dengue, or Chikungunya. All of the participants showed mild to no symptoms of these potentially lethal viruses.
Kro Ampofo, the infectious disease specialist conducting the study at the University of Utah, explains that "Everyone was concentrating on Zika and ignoring that there could be other infections caused by mosquito bites. We did not expect to find so many with these other infections." The researchers and doctors were relieved to have not found any Zika cases. While this is not to say that no one contracted Zika while at the Olympic Games, this study suggests that there are other viruses that are just as, if not more, common that we can't forget about throughout the world. ARUP Laboratories medical director, Dr. Marc Couturier, explains this issue perfectly: "We all had our Hollywood sunglasses on, and they blinded us to other possibilities. We can't forget that West Nile virus has been around for a while, and is still here."
Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/10/171007172948.htm
-Alexandra Ulmer
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