Indian athlete Sudha Singh, who returned from the Rio Olympics on Saturday, tested positive for the H1N1 virus, though officials had fears that she had contracted Zika, ANI. According to Regional Director of the Sports Authority of India M Shyam Sunder, Singh arrived in the city with fever and body ache and was admitted to Fortis Hospital the same day, PTI reported.
Blood samples were collected from the steeplechase participant and sent to a virology institute for testing for Zika, Sunder said, adding that Singh was now better than she was when she was brought to the hospital. "The doctors have taken blood samples to eliminate risk factors. Hopefully, it is not Zika that Sudha is suffering from," he had said. The Zika test later came out negative.
The Indian Olympics Association had issued an advisory to all athletes heading to Rio on the Zika epidemic in Brazil. Singh qualified for the 3,000-m steeplechase at the Summer Games after clocking a time of 26.55 seconds during the Federation Cup National Athletics Championships in New Delhi in April.
A number of athletes participating in the Rio Olympics had expressed concern over the spread of the Zika virus in Brazil. World No. 1 golfer Jason Day had withdrawn from the Olympics citing Zika threat, and British long jump champion Greg Rutherford had decided to freeze his sperm, fearing an infection from the virus.
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