With just three weeks to go before the Olympic Games kick off in Rio de Janeiro, Ottawa is reminding Canadian travellers to take precautions against the Zika virus while in Brazil.
Canadians travelling to the Games are being urged to register their travel plans with the federal government in case of an emergency and purchase “comprehensive travel health insurance” for a term longer than their trip.
Travellers are advised to protect themselves from mosquito bites at all times, since mosquitos transmit the Zika virus. Zika usually causes a mild illness, but has been linked to microcephaly, a condition that causes abnormally small heads in fetuses and newborns among some women who have been infected with the virus.
Pregnant women and those who are planning to become pregnant should avoid going to the Olympics, a special government advisory says.
The government also recommends that travellers carry contact information for the Canadian Embassy and consulate generals in Brazil.
Ottawa continues to advise Canadian citizens to exercise “a high degree of caution” in Brazil “due to high crime rates and regular incidents of gang-related and other violence in urban areas.”
