Zika virus: Female athletes warned about risks of attending Rio Olympics

'The health and wellbeing of all our team members is paramount, especially those females in the team of child bearing age'

Fumigating a graveyard: ‘Aedes aegypti’ can replicate in flower vases and other tiny sources of water and are hard to eradicate (AFP)

Female athletes are being warned about the risk of contracting the Zika virus if they attend this year's Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

The Australian Olympic Council (AOC) is the first athletics body to publicly express concern for female team members running risks of infection while pregnant.

David Hughes, the AOC's medical director, told News.com.au: "All females of child-bearing age need to be aware of the specific risks of microcephaly in newborns, should the mother become infected during pregnancy.

"Following the recently updated DFAT guidelines, any team members who are pregnant at the time of the Games need to consider the risks very carefully before deciding whether to proceed with travel to Brazil."

Brazilian health authorities have announced that four months before the opening ceremony they will be conducting inspections of all Olympic facilities, eliminating any potential mosquito breeding grounds such as stagnant water.

In addition, daily sweeps will be organised throughout the games with limited use of fumigation.

Australian team Chef de Mission Kitty Chiller said: "The health and wellbeing of all our team members is paramount, especially those females in the team of child bearing age.

"We have a responsibility to ensure that we educate and inform all prospective team members of the potential risks and to put in place whatever mitigating measures we can."

A spokesperson for the British Olympic Association said they are currently monitoring the situation, stating: "The British Olympic Association is aware of the current outbreak of the zika virus in Brazil and will be monitoring the situation over the coming months, staying in close contact with both Rio 2016 and the IOC as is normal in the preparation for any major Games.

"As part of Team GB’s overall planning, our medical team has been liaising with specialists at the London School of Tropical Medicine, to ensure that team members are given the most up-to-date travel medicine advice, which includes information on bite prevention strategies.

"This information has already been shared with all sports and it will be continually updated prior to departure for the Olympic Games."

The Zika virus is linked with a birth defect known as microcephaly which sees children born with abnormally small brains as well as a neurological syndrome which can cause paralysis.

The disease has spread across South and Central America with a handful of cases being reported in the UK, US and Germany.

Zika is spread to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. There is currently no known cure or vaccine.

Brazilian experts at Oswaldo Cruz Foundation have also said the virus may have already crossed over to the more common culex mosquito - which would increase its chances of being spreading around the world.