Pregnant Wife of Rolling Stones Star Leaves Tour in Brazil Due to Zika

Ronnie Wood, guitarist for the Rolling Stones, ended rumors that his pregnant wife was ‘sent home’ from the band’s Latin American tour.

Wood, 69, and his wife, Sally, 38, are expecting twin girls. Wood took to Twitter to explain that having Sally stay in the country where the Zika outbreak began in May 2015 wasn’t worth the risk. Wood already has four children and 10 grandchildren.

My wife @sallywood has not been 'sent home' from the @rollingstones tour!

1/3

— Ronnie Wood (@ronniewood) February 21, 2016

Our twins come first and we decided the Zika virus & excessive flying was too dangerous for them.

2/3

— Ronnie Wood (@ronniewood) February 21, 2016

Our baby GIRLS are growing beautifully ~ thank you for the love! ❤️💕 3/3 (my drawing 👭) pic.twitter.com/6GFl4V8b60

— Ronnie Wood (@ronniewood) February 21, 2016

Brazil is one of more than 30 countries that have ongoing local Zika transmission. If a pregnant woman gets infected with the virus, officials strongly believe that their child could develop microcephaly — a condition where the baby’s brain and head size are smaller-than-normal and could potentially lead to vision-threatening problems.

• MD Magazine is on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn!

Although long-term outcomes of Zika are unknown, there is a lot that we do know. The virus can be sexually transmitted and World Health Organization (WHO) officials declared the outbreak a global public health emergency. There’s a hot debate going on whether President Obama’s $1.8 billion request to combat the mosquito-borne illness is necessary and political parties are taking sides.

With no preventive vaccine or specific treatment for Zika, it looks like Wood and Sally made the safe choice.

Also on MD Magazine >>> Pope Francis on Zika: “Avoiding Pregnancy Is Not an Absolute Evil”