Bengaluru: Rio athlete quarantined over Zika infection fears

Olympics runner Sudha Singh, who had participated in the steeplechase competition at Rio, is reportedly has been quarantined in an isolation ward at a private hospital in Bengaluru as doctors suspect she may have contracted the Zika virus.

Sudha came back to India on Saturday. However, she later brought to a private hospital in Bengaluru after she complained of fatigue and joint pain. After checkup, they found that her blood level had fallen to worrying levels. 

While she is being treated for viral infection, doctors are also carrying out a medical investigation to rule out a possible Zika scare.

“It is probably just a viral infection but as protocol, we are investigating to rule out Zika,” Dr S R Sarala of the Sports Authority of India was quoted in an NDTV report.

Sudha Singh created a national record in women’s 3000m steeplechase in May at the IAAF Diamond League in Shanghai. Her record-breaking performance had come at a right time and served as a huge morale booster before she left for the Rio games.

Her blood samples has been sent to the Pune-based National Institute of Virology for testing  to check for Zika. 

Doctors are taking extra precaution as Brazil has had suffered a major outbreak of the Zika virus. Brazil has the highest rate of infection, followed by Colombia.

The Zika virus is spread to people through the bite of an infected mosquito, the same mosquito that transmits dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. There is no vaccine for Zika.