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These Are The Athletes Opting Out Of The Olympics Amid Zika Concerns

More athletes from around the world are choosing to not compete in the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as concerns over the Zika virus outbreak continue.

Many of those who said they will opt out have cited health concerns for themselves and their families should they become infected.

The World Health Organization in February called the mosquito-borne, sexually transmitted Zika virus — which has been linked to several birth defects including microcephaly — a global health emergency. And the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in the U.S. has warned pregnant women against traveling to any of the 47 countries plagued by the epidemic.