Jamaican Olympic gold medallist Kemar Bailey-Cole reveals he has Zika virus

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Kemar Bailey-Cole, who ran alongside Usain Bolt on Jamaica’s gold medal-winning 4×100-meter relay team at the 2012 London Olympics, has revealed that he is suffering from the Zika virus. Bailey-Cole was in the running for a spot on Jamaica’s sprint-relay team at this year’s Rio Games, but now that’s in doubt.

As for his chances of recovery in time for Rio?

“I am a little worried, but I am not letting that get in front of me,” he told the Jamaican publication The Gleaner. “I am just praying that I get the strength to carry me through the rounds. Recovering is not easy because as we speak, the rashes are still on my body. My eyes hurt, but the best thing is that I am not feeling any muscle pain at the moment.”

The Gleaner did not reveal how Bailey-Cole contracted the virus, which can be transmitted either via mosquito bite or sexual activity. Jamaica’s Olympic track trials are next week, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says local mosquito transmission of the virus has been reported in the country.

Bailey-Cole missed most of the 2015 track season after contacting the Chikungunya virus, which also is borne by mosquitos and causes fever, rashes and joint pain, symptoms that can last months or even years.

World health officials have advised pregnant women or women who hope to become pregnant not to travel to Rio because of the Zika virus, which can cause birth defects and has become prevalent in Brazil. This week, star golfer Rory McIlroy announced he would not be playing in the Olympics because of Zika fears, joining a number of other golfers who made similar decisions. McIlroy recently got engaged and said he intends to start a family in the near future, so he did not want to jeopardize the health of his fiancee.

(c) 2016, The Washington Post · Matt Bonesteel

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