Dancehall Singer, Beenie Man Diagnosed with Zika Virus
Yesterday Beenie Man shared an Instagram photo of himself undergoing blood tests. He captioned the photo “No visa fi mi Canada show. The same Zika mosquito gi mi dengue. Blood test, injections, pills. Wi a hol firm still.”
He had to cancel his Saturday night performance at Toronto’s OVO Fest after he was denied a Canadian visa after contracting the Zika virus.
Ticketmaster confirmed that Beenie Man had canceled his OVO appearance, telling ticket buyers in a statement, “Due to immigration issues Beenie Man will no longer be able to perform as part of OVO Fest 2016 on Saturday July 30th at TD Echo Beach in Toronto. In his place we have booked a slew of surprise special guests and of course Machel Montano will still headline as planned, with special guests of his own.”
Zika is often a mild illness, with 80% of those infected having no symptoms at all. Transmission is either through being bitten by a mosquito that has previously bitten someone carrying the virus, or through intimate sexual contact. Zika virus can cause serious health problems in some babies whose mothers contract the virus while pregnant. The spread of the mosquito-borne virus, which can cause mild fever and a rash, has been an international concern because it can damage babies in the womb, causing microcephaly.
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