London: The risk of sports fans catching dengue fever in the ongoing Rio Olympics in Brazil is extremely low, researchers say using a mathematical model.
Athletes and foreign visitors have expressed concerns about catching the mosquito-borne disease this summer as Brazil has the highest recorded number of dengue cases worldwide.
A system of differential equation was used to evaluate the spread of dengue amongst the resident population and an approximation is used to assess the risk to tourists.
The team led by Professor Eduardo Massad comprised of academics at the University of Strathclyde, the University of Sao Paulo and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.
Dr David Greenhalgh of Strathclyde's Department of Mathematics and Statistics, said: "The Olympics is expected to attract some 400,000 foreign visitors in addition to around 600,000 domestic supporters. As Brazil is the country with the highest number of dengue cases worldwide, concern about the risk to tourists is justifiable."
Dengue fever is a viral, flu-like illness which is spread by infected mosquitoes in Brazil most commonly the Aedes aegypti mosquito. The condition is widespread in areas of the world with a high mosquito population, typically within major urban centers with a warm and humid climate.
Ximenes said: "Rio de Janeiro has been of major importance for the study of dengue, as the city has suffered a number of outbreaks. For that reason, properly quantifying the risk to foreign visitors to the Olympics is vital."
The research was published in BMC Infectious Diseases.
Athletes and foreign visitors have expressed concerns about catching the mosquito-borne disease this summer as Brazil has the highest recorded number of dengue cases worldwide.
A system of differential equation was used to evaluate the spread of dengue amongst the resident population and an approximation is used to assess the risk to tourists.
The team led by Professor Eduardo Massad comprised of academics at the University of Strathclyde, the University of Sao Paulo and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.
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Dr David Greenhalgh of Strathclyde's Department of Mathematics and Statistics, said: "The Olympics is expected to attract some 400,000 foreign visitors in addition to around 600,000 domestic supporters. As Brazil is the country with the highest number of dengue cases worldwide, concern about the risk to tourists is justifiable."
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Dengue fever is a viral, flu-like illness which is spread by infected mosquitoes in Brazil most commonly the Aedes aegypti mosquito. The condition is widespread in areas of the world with a high mosquito population, typically within major urban centers with a warm and humid climate.
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Ximenes said: "Rio de Janeiro has been of major importance for the study of dengue, as the city has suffered a number of outbreaks. For that reason, properly quantifying the risk to foreign visitors to the Olympics is vital."
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The research was published in BMC Infectious Diseases.
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