Abby Haglage's must-read article in The Daily Beast: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/06/08/sponsors-push-ahead-with-zika-olympics.html inspired me to add more Olympic sponsors to this petition. Since I've already added Bell and Air Canada, I felt "Official Supporters" Molson Canadian (Molson Coors) and The Globe and Mail should chime in. There are plenty of other beer brands and struggling news media platforms that would publicly state they would NOT support the Olympic games if held in August. And we, the public (who will pay the ultimate price of Zika infections) need to let corporations know we might boycott their products or services. The true cost of Zika in the U.S. could be enormous. CDC's director, Dr. Frieden, said the lifetime cost to care for a child with microcephaly is between $1 and $10 million dollars. Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-true-cost-of-zika-in-the-u-s-could-be-staggering Yet this is a golden (pun intended) opportunity for Molson Coors and The Globe and Mail to win over even more consumers. If they do the right thing: speak up against having the Olympics held in August. On February 8th, 2016, the CDC elevated the Zika virus to Level 1 - the highest response level at the agency. That alone should warrant travel restrictions to Brazil, in my mind. Next, I want to highlight some unknowns that have raised the hairs on the back of my neck based on my healthcare training: When I studied nursing, I learned about the blood-brain barrier which consists of highly specialized endothelial cells that allow precise control over substances that enter or leave the brain. Without it, every cold we catch could turn into a life-threatening brain infection. Most of us would never make to adulthood without our blood-brain barrier. Brief background: in the 1880s, Paul Ehrlich noted that injecting certain dyes (e.g. trypan blue) stained all organs except the brain and the spinal cord. Next, when I studied orthotics and prosthetics, all the buzz was about PPS (post-polio syndrome). I observed its effects first-hand (even though there were still doubters in the medical community). The cause of PPS is unknown but experts have several theories ranging from fatigue of overworked nerve cells to possible brain damage via viral infection to a combination of factors. For more: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/post_polio/detail_post_polio.htm#3172_1 And one more virus that I'm sure we all know about: shingles. When people are first infected with the varicella-zoster virus, usually as children, they get chickenpox. Years or decades later, the virus can reactivate and cause shingles. Source and for more: http://www.nfid.org/publications/factsheets/varicellaadult.pdf So when I looked at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) image gallery on flickr and found the CC photo by Sarah C. Ogden of Florida State University, Tallahassee, my jaw dropped. Shown on this poster: http://www.zazzle.com/neural_cells_infected_w_zika_poster_by_rosewrites-228079645501030868 the Zika virus invades and aggressively attacks brain and nerve cells. In fact, within three days of inoculation, the Zika virus can infect up to 90 percent of the cells which comprise our cerebral cortex. Not only that, but the Zika virus remains longer in semen than in blood. And I'm astounded by the stark contrast in recommendations about pregnancy. The CDC recommended women diagnosed with the Zika virus should wait at least eight weeks (just 2 months) before trying to conceive while men who had the disease should hold off for at least six months. Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/zika-cdc-guidelines-1.3507553 But El Salvador's Deputy Health Minister, Eduardo Espinoza, urged women to refrain from getting pregnant before 2018 – a full two years. And in Colombia, which has the second-highest Zika infection rate after Brazil, the government is advising women to delay pregnancy for six to eight months. Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-zika-el-salvador-idUSKCN0UZ2SP What is safe? Consider that a whopping 80 percent of those with Zika have no symptoms, I don't think we honestly know. And what scares me most is that this virus can go undetected by the vast majority of those who contract it. Plus, it can obviously get past the blood-brain barrier. What happens if this virus (like chicken pox and polio) becomes reactivated later on in life? The WHO and IOC won't be on the hook, will they? On June 3rd, 2016 I read a CIDRAP (Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy) post about data from Colombia and Panama which stated the "Zika virus might be linked to other problems in babies, affecting the genitourinary, cardiac, and digestive systems." "Health officials have been warning that babies born with Zika virus complications might face a host of still-unknown complications." Source: http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2016/06/who-array-zika-birth-defects-equals-new-syndrome Keep in mind there is no medicine to treat the Zika virus infection and we are years away from a vaccine. In this recent American Academy of Neurology press release: https://www.aan.com/PressRoom/home/PressRelease/1451 Dr. Maria Lucia Brito Ferreira, discovered that the Zika virus may be associated with an autoimmune disorder that attacks the brain’s myelin. Two out of six people (with neurological symptoms) developed acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), an attack of swelling of the brain and spinal cord. Consider these points: "When they were discharged from the hospital, five of the six people still had problems with motor functioning. One person had vision problems and one had problems with memory and thinking skills. Tests showed that the participants all had Zika virus. Yet tests for dengue and chikungunya were negative." I cannot think of a scarier virus. Please make your concerns known (you do not have to donate and no, I do not get paid to write petitions or petition updates). This is a preventable global public health disaster. Even though I am extremely busy with other commitments, I began community Facebook page to keep you up-to-date: https://www.facebook.com/Zika-Lets-Stop-a-Global-Pandemic-1546881032284413 Bottom Line: No one should be attending the Olympic games if they are held in August. This is a virus that invades the brain and spinal cord (even in adults) and we do not know the long-term effects of acquiring it. Twelve (yes, 12) species of mosquitoes in Canada are capable of acquiring and spreading Zika according to medical entomologist Dr. Fiona Hunter. And she stressed: "We can be proactive. We don’t have to wait until some traveller comes back to Canada with Zika virus and gets bitten by local mosquitoes, and wait on tenterhooks to see whether or not there can be local transmission." Source: https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2016/02/19/canadian-scientists-to-study-zika-virus-to-see-if-mosquitoes-here-can-spread-it.html Remember, 80 percent of people who will contract Zika will have no symptoms. Prevention is worth a pound of cure. Don't go to Rio. Stay well, Rose CC Dr. Attaran and Dr. Fiona Hunter Authors note: I cannot use italics, hyperlink, or change petition updates. Ergo, my links are not hidden. 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