The Rio Olympics will not be cancelled because of the outbreak of the Zika virus in Brazil, with sports minister George Hilton saying the topic "is not in discussion".

He said he "lamented material and opinions in the press" speculating that South America's first Olympics might be called off.

"The Brazilian government is fully committed to ensure that the 2016 Rio games take place in an atmosphere of security and tranquillity," Mr Hilton said.

Brazil is the epicentre of an outbreak of the mosquito-borne Zika virus, which the World Health Organisation has called "an extraordinary event and public health threat".

Health officials are investigating whether there is a link between Zika infections in pregnant women and a rare birth defect.

International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said earlier this week he was "very confident" the games would take place.

Mr Hilton said the WHO had not banned travel because of Zika, though pregnant women have been advised not to travel to Zika areas.

He also noted the cooler, drier Brazilian weather in the South American winter when the games open on August 5 will drive down the mosquito count.

The Zika virus adds to other problems with South America's first Olympics, including severe water pollution in Rio's sailing and rowing venues, and deep cuts of almost 30% to keep the operating budget in balance.

Only about half of the domestic tickets for the game have been sold, and organisers fear the Zika outbreak could scare off foreign tourists.

Meanwhile a pregnant woman is among the seven people identified as being infected with the Zika virus in Spain after visiting affected countries.

The country's health ministry said the woman travelled to Colombia, was presumably infected during the trip and is in her second trimester of pregnancy.

She is under medical supervision in the north-eastern region of Catalonia.

The ministry says the number of cases diagnosed so far are within expectations and do not pose a risk for the virus to be spread in Spain.

Brazil said it is sending samples related to the Zika outbreak to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, after accusations that it was hoarding data and biological material.

Researchers across the world were reportedly being starved of access to Zika samples and information, with many countries relying on older strains from outbreaks in the Pacific and Africa for tests and research.

The WHO and Brazilian health officials said legal issues were complicating the sharing of data, but Brazil's health ministry has now said it has wrapped up Zika field work with a US team and will be shipping two-thirds of the material gathered to the US.