Zika and the Olympics In Copenhagen in 2009, Brazil won the privilege of hosting the 2016 Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro. The games will begin on the 5 th of august, but have been facing some serious threats, like not being able to be on schedule and waters in the Guanabara bay being polluted. Most severe of all though is the threat of the Zika virus, that has been plaguing the country for quite some time now. Despite only show mild symptoms such as fever or a rash, the virus has been linked to microcephaly, a birth abnormality that causes an underdeveloped head and brain of the child. The Zika virus therefore poses the real threat to pregnant women. The World Health Organization received an open letter, signed by 150 health experts, that warns against the risk of transmission related to an event like the Olympics where thousands of people from all over the globe will gather and potentially carry the virus to their domestic countries. However, WHO doesn’t feel that the Olympic