South Korean athletes will be sporting a uniform at the Rio Olympics that will keep them protected from mosquitos.

The team's training gear and uniform will feature a built in repellant to keep mosquitos away amid fears over the Zika virus for many of the athletes and competitors heading to the games in Rio this summer. 

A spokesperson for the South Korean Olympic Committee stated that while there are regulations that prohibit the uniforms used in competition from containing the repellant, they will "distribute mosquito-repellant sprays to the athletes and will also vaccinate them against other diseases that can be spread by mosquitoes just in case."

The Zika virus can be spread by mosquitoes, but according to the Centre for Disease Control, most people infected with it "won’t even know they have the disease because they won’t have symptoms". However, there are serious complications during pregnancy, as it can cause severe brain defects once passed from mother to foetus.

Brazil has been hit particularly hard by the virus, with around 1.5 million cases reported. 

Via RTÉ