Bengaluru: Sudha Singh, an Indian athlete who participated in the steeplechase competition in the Rio Olympics is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Bengaluru following fever and body ache. A full medical investigation is underway to rule out the Zika virus.
Singh was taken to the hospital after she returned to India on Saturday. She complained of joint pain, fatigue and low blood pressure. Her blood samples have been sent to a virology institute for Zika testing.

Dr SR Sarala, a senior scientific officer at the Sports Authority of India, speaking to NDTV, said, “We want to be extra cautious since she was in Brazil where the virus is a major concern. It is probably just a viral infection but as protocol, we are investigating to rule out Zika.”

OP Jaisha and Kavita Raut, marathon runners and who were Singh’s roommates in Rio also had milder symptoms of a viral infection. Dr Sarala further explained Singh and her roommates were vulnerable to infection. However, the doctors said that Singh is recovering.

It may be recalled that the World Health Organisation in its statement earlier said that there is a “very low risk” of the Zika virus, a mosquito-borne virus, which can cause crippling birth defects and has also been linked to a neurological disorder, spreading further internationally as a result of the Olympic Games in Brazil.