Rio Olympics should be postponed or moved due to Zika: professor

The Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro should be postponedor moved to other venues because of the global threatposed by theZika virus epidemic in Brazil, says a Canadian professor of law whospecializes in public health.

In a commentary published in the May issue of the Harvard PublicHealth Review, Amir Attaran of the University ofOttawa said theexpected half-million visitors to the Olympic and Paralympic Gamescould spread the virus once theyreturn to their home countries.

• LISTEN: Amir Attarantalks Zika concerns onThe Current

Most people who get infected by the mosquito-borne virus don'texperience any symptoms. Those who do typicallycomplain of fever,body aches, rash and red eyes.

But Zika has been found to cause a serious birth defect undersized heads and underdeveloped brains, known asmicrocephaly in some babies born to women infected during pregnancy. The virushas also potentially been linkedto a paralyzing condition calledGuillain-Barre syndrome and other neurological disorders in somechildren andadults.

Epidemic levels

The disease, which has reached epidemic levels in South andCentral America, parts of Mexico and the Caribbean, canalso betransmitted sexually from an infected partner.

"The problem is we're essentially faced with a situation ofgames versus health," Attaran said in an interview MondayfromOttawa. "And to me, it's very clear that you don't play games so asto wreck the health of the world, whichis very possibly theoutcome."

He argues it would be irresponsible for the International OlympicCommittee and the World Health Organization to allowthe Games slated to begin in less than 90 days, on Aug. 5 to go ahead.

"I characterize it as potentially catastrophic, extremelynegligent, ill-considered and inconsistent with the scientificevidence," said Attaran, noting that the science on Zika hasrapidly evolved since the IOC last stated that theGames willproceed as planned.

Since that statement in late January, in which the IOC expressedconfidence that the Games will be safe and advisedparticipants onhow to protect themselves from mosquito bites, researchers haveproven that Zika infectionduring pregnancy can cause microcephalyin newborns.

"It's a bit like saying: 'We're holding the Games in Fukushima.Protect yourself. Wear a lead suit. It will all be fine,"'quippedAttaran, referring to the 2011 post-tsunami nuclear disaster inJapan.

He also criticized the WHO for not taking a stronger stance onthe threat of worldwide Zika transmission as a result of theOlympicGames, given that the agency's director general, Margaret Chan, haddeclared the explosive spread of thevirus in the Americas a globalpublic health emergency.

A spokesman for the World Health Organization in Geneva could notbe reached for comment Monday.

Alternative Olympicoptions

Attaran said he's not arguing that the Olympics should becancelled just rescheduled or moved to a safer location orevenseveral locations.

"I think you could get it done in 90 days, because there is nolonger a need to have all the Games in the same place," hesaid,pointing out that events could be split up using facilities incities such as London, Beijing and Sydney, whichhosted previousSummer Olympics.

"This is actually a plus. This is not a negative. This would betaking an unfortunate tragedy known as Zika and fashioningit intothe world's first ever truly global Olympics. How can anyone dislikethat idea?"

Attaran said it doesn't make sense for the small percentage ofpeople who can afford to travel to Rio to enjoy "their breadandcircuses" at the possible expense of the far greater proportion ofthe world's population who are unable toattend the Games or to riskthe health of unborn children.

"This isn't a kill-joy argument," he said. "It's an argumentfor delayed gratification so that babies aren't born permanentlydisabled.

"Who could seriously argue that their game is more importantthan a child's life?"