Rio-bound U.S. athletes monitored for Zika.

• Position: Summer Olympics - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health are monitoring potential Zika virus exposure among a subset of athletes, coaches, and other U.S. Olympic Committee staff attending the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which take place Aug. 5-21 and Sept. 7-18, respectively.

The study is led by Carrie L. Byington, from the University of Utah, Salt Lake City.

"Zika virus infection poses many unknown risks, especially to those of reproductive age," says Catherine Y. Spong, acting director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. "Monitoring the health and reproductive outcomes of members of the U.S. Olympic team offers a unique opportunity to answer important questions and help address an ongoing public health emergency."

USOC established an Infectious Disease Advisory Group, chaired by Byington, to help prepare the U.S. Olympic team for travel to Brazil, which is the epicenter of the Zika virus outbreak in the Americas. "We partnered with the USOC to improve knowledge of the dynamics of Zika infection so that we can better protect the health of athletes and staff...