PETALING JAYA: Malaysian athletes and officials who returned from the Rio Olympics have been checked for the Zika virus and given a clean bill of health.
A spokesman from the corporate communications department of the National Sports Institute’s Podium Programme said they were screened as soon as they landed at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
“Health Ministry officers were on hand to perform blood tests, urine tests and check-ups.
“We were not informed of any abnormalities and none of the athletes and officials reported any symptoms ,” she said.
The spokesman said the athletes and officials in Rio de Janeiro for the Paralympics currently, took precautionary measures before leaving Malaysia. Brazil is the epicentre of the Zika outbreak.
She said those measures included getting vaccinated against yellow fever (another mosquito-borne virus) and attending a briefing on Zika by the Health Ministry.
They were also advised to use the mosquito repellent provided, to sleep under a mosquito net, wear long-sleeved shirts and trousers, and to abstain from unprotected sex for two weeks upon returning home.
Another piece of advice was to seek immediate treatment if they come down with fever, rash, joint pains or conjunctivitis.
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