U.S. Olympic Committee Denies It Advised Athletes to Skip Rio

The U.S. Olympic Committee strongly denied Monday that it has advised athletes and staff to consider skipping the Summer Olympic Games in Brazil because of the Zika virus, NBC News reported.

The USOC bluntly said a Reuters report that it offered the advice in a conference call last month with the leaders of U.S. sports federation "is not accurate."

The report cited the head of USA Fencing as saying USOC officials told the federations that no one should go to Brazil "if they don't feel comfortable going."

The USOC said Monday that, in the call, it closely followed the guidance given by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the International Olympic Committee.

CDC guidelines for travel to South America, including Brazil, don't say travelers should avoid Brazil, but advise that travelers protect themselves against mosquito bites.

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