The mosquito-borne virus has been a major area of concern in the build-up to the Games, with 150 leading international scientists, doctors and medical ethicists writing to the World Health Organization last month calling to either move or postpone the Olympics and Paralympics.

They claimed that new findings about Zika made it "unethical" for Rio 2016 to go ahead as planned and argued that if athletes contract the virus and return home to poor countries that have not yet suffered a Zika outbreak, they could help spread the disease.

Their request was rejected by the WHO, but fears have remained over the impact of Zika, which has been linked with microcephaly - where babies are born with abnormally small heads because of restricted brain development.

It has also been linked with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a neurological disorder which causes muscle weakness.

Dr Venkat, director of the Harley Street Fertility Clinic in London, has now advised those travelling to the Games who wish to try for a baby in the near future to freeze their sperm or eggs.

“For those men and women planning on trying for a baby in the near future, freezing sperm or eggs ahead of travel to Zika hot-spots, such as Rio, is the best way of avoiding contamination by the mosquito-borne virus which is linked to serious birth defects and has been declared a global public health emergency by the World Health Organization,” he said.

It is claimed that once infected the virus will remain in a person’s bloodstream for one to two weeks, however various organs of the body can then pass on the virus for another fortnight.

Due to uncertainty of how long the Zika virus can be passed-on via semen, it is recommended that men who have travelled to areas with an outbreak should either refrain from intercourse or use condoms to avoid exposing a pregnant partner or a partner who may become pregnant.

Should the male partner experience symptoms, it is suggested that they continue the practice for six months, while a minimum period of abstinence should last eight weeks.

British long jumper Greg Rutherford, who will attempt to defend his Olympic title in Rio, has already followed the advice after it was revealed that he had frozen his sperm.

The 29-year-old’s partner Susie Verrill, who Rutherford has a son with, has already confirmed she will not be attending the Games.

Golfers Vijay Singh of Fiji and America's Marc Leishman have already announced they will not attend the Games due to fears about the virus.

Fears surrounding the virus appear low in Brazil itself, while organisers have repeatedly asserted that the mosquitoes, which carry the disease, will be far less prevalent during the winter months in which both the Olympic and Paralympic Games will be held in Brazil.

The Olympic Opening Ceremony is on August 5.