With the Olympics less than 13 days away, many athletes are heading to Rio de Janeiro. But many athletes are waiting for the open ceremonies to be closer because they don't want to stay in Rio longer than necessary. Many athletes are waiting because they are afraid of contracting the Zika virus. Some athletes are so scared of the Zika virus that they withdraw from games. The total number of athletes is the lowest since the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics. According to the Ministry of Health, "Zika virus is a mild mosquito-borne cebrile viral disease" ("Zika Virus"). These mosquitoes are aggressive during the day. They can bite even at night. The WHO (World Health Organization) “estimates that between 3 and 4 million people in the Americas will be infected with the virus in the next year” (“Zika Virus and Potential Complications”). “As long as the mosquito continues to reproduce, each and every one of us is losing the battle against the mosquito,” Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said recently. “We must mobilize so as not to lose this battle” (LaMotte, “Zika Virus: 5 Things That you need to know.") Many people, especially women, are afraid of Zika because Zika is linked to microcephaly. According to WebMD, "microcephaly stunts the baby's growth, causing devastating, sometimes fatal damage, and can result in miscarriages and stillbirths ” (“Zika Virus Symptoms, Countries, Risks, and Prevention”). Microcephaly can occur because the baby's brain did not develop properly during pregnancy or stopped growing after birth, which results in a small head size smaller. According to the CDC, children with microcephaly can have a number of other problems, depending on the severity of their microcephaly. Some of the other problems include... middle of paper... bugs. “Bed nets form a protective barrier around the people sleeping under them. However, bed nets treated with an insecticide are much more protective than untreated bed nets. Insecticides used to treat mosquito nets kill mosquitoes, as well as other insects. Insecticides also repel mosquitoes, reducing the number of mosquitoes that enter homes and attempt to feed on the people inside” (“Insecticide-Treated Bed Nets.”). As for the athletes in Rio. If you follow these steps and minimize the time you spend outside, especially during the day. You will decrease your chances of contracting the Zika virus. And it could save your life. In conclusion, the Zika virus is very dangerous, even though we don't know much about it. And there is currently no cure for Zika. Zika is very dangerous for women and their unborn child. Zika is becoming more and more dangerous and isn't going anywhere anytime soon.