By: Kasen Stephensen

The dreaded Zika virus has spread across South America and Olympic teams are concerned for their own safety in the Rio 2016 Olympics.

The World Health Organization released a statement on May 12 attempting to calm any fears about the Olympics and Zika.  The WHO included several suggestions to prevent the spread of Zika to others by encouraging the use of insect repellent, condoms, and air-conditioning.

However, despite the WHO’s statement, fear is raging among athletes. As of May 19, the U.S. Swim team changed the location of a pre-Olympic training camp from Puerto Rico to Atlanta because of Zika prevalence.

Pregnant women are encouraged to stay home to prevent the spread of microcephaly, a condition in which children are born with unusually small heads, to their unborn children as a result of contracting Zika.