A British expert has warned football fans going to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil to be aware of the risk of dengue fever.
Professor Simon Hay of Oxford University, whose team studied maps of the distribution of dengue in Brazil and its seasonal variation at sites where the tournament is being staged, mentioned that the tropical disease, spread by mosquito bites, could be a problem in three of the 12 host cities.
According to the BBC, Hay said that the cities of Fortaleza, Natal and Salvador are at the most risk from dengue, which can cause fever and in severe cases may need hospital treatment, adding that FIFA, the Brazilian authorities and the World Cup sponsors must use their influence and experience to communicate the risk.
The report mentioned that fans would discover which matches would be played where when the draw for the group stages of the World Cup takes place on December 6.
Stating that he does not want to dissuade any fan or single out Brazil, which is one of more than 100 countries battling dengue, Hay said that his aim is to inform unwary spectators about the risk, adding that although there are no vaccines or drugs against dengue, but avoiding mosquito bites is the best precaution.
Hay also said that control measures are needed to reduce the number of mosquitoes around the northern stadiums and to interrupt the mosquito's breeding cycle.
Symptoms of dengue, which is spread by the infected Aedes aegypti mosquito, include fever, headache, pain behind the eyes, bone, muscle and joint pain, the report added.