The spread of the Zika virus, a financial downturn, pollution issues and the recent vote to impeach President Dilma Rousseff in Brazil have raised significant concerns regarding preparations for the 31st Olympic Games, which Rio de Janeiro will host from Aug. 5 to 21.

“The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is closely monitoring the situation with Zika in Brazil,” the IOC Medical and Scientific Commission said in an official statement. “We are also in close communication with the WHO [World Health Organization] and the Rio 2016 Organising Committee on this topic… We remain confident that there will be a safe environment for successful and enjoyable Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.”

The Zika outbreak began in Brazil in April 2015, and the virus can be transmitted through mosquito bites or sexual contact. Although Zika does not cause significant symptoms in most cases, researchers are investigating possible connections between Zika and microcephaly, a condition in which babies are born with heads unusually small heads, according to the World Health Organization.

“Aedes aegypti [mosquitoes] are the most common vector for transmitting Zika, and they do tend to breed in small little puddles and pools of water in urban environments like flower pot trays and tires and things like this,” said Dr. Paul Roepe, Professor in the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Biochemistry and Cellular & Molecular Biology at Georgetown University, and co-director of Georgetown’s Center for Infectious Diseases.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has issued travel alerts and precautions for those traveling to countries with Zika virus outbreaks, including Brazil. The CDC has specifically recommended that pregnant women not travel to the Rio Olympics unless absolutely necessary.

However, the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) will neither prevent any athletes from participating in the event nor recommend staying away from the event.

“Team USA looks forward to the Games and we did not, would not and will not prevent athletes from competing for their country should they qualify,” Patrick Sandusky, United States Olympic Committee (USOC) spokesperson said in a public statement, in response to affirmations that the USOC has advised athletes against attending.

Another concern for the Olympics in Rio is the state of the venues for water events.

“A feature of Rio’s plans is the cleaning and regeneration of Rio’s waterways and lakes through government projects for major new water treatment and sewerage works and education campaigns,” the Rio 2016 Committee said in its official proposal bid in 2009.

However, according to water quality tests conducted by the Associated Press in 2015, Rio’s future Olympic waterways contain virus levels high enough that experts have expressed concerns over potential health repercussions for athletes.

In addition to health concerns, Brazil is currently experiencing its worst financial downturn since 1990, a stark contrast to the state of its economy in 2009, when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) selected Rio as host of the 2016 games. The Rio Olympic Organising Committee has cut their budget by approximately $500 million, although no cuts have been made to venues or athlete accommodations, according to the Associated Press.

As of our publication date, Brazil has sold less than half of tickets available for all events, according to Fortune.

“About 90% of all [Brazil] make[s] from tourism is from domestic tourism,” said Dr. Carolin Lusby, Assistant Professor at Florida International University in The Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. “In that regard, international tourism has an impact on the economy, but most of their money comes from interstate visitors.”

Specifically, in 2014, domestic tourism spending comprised 95 percent of total tourism spending, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council.

The Opening Ceremony is sold out, according to Fortune, and will mark the beginning of the games at the Maracanã Stadium on Aug. 5.

This piece was originally published in the pages of the Winged Post on May 4, 2016.