According to a study commissioned by the Associated Press, Rio’s waterways are badly contaminated with raw human sewage. Samples have included drug-resistant super bacteria linked to the dumping of hospital waste.
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The AP study shows levels of bacteria reaching as high as 1.7 million times the acceptable levels in the United States. At those concentrations, swimmers and athletes who ingest just three teaspoons of water are nearly certain to be infected with viruses that can cause stomach and respiratory illnesses and more rarely heart and brain inflammation – although whether they actually fall ill depends on a series of factors including the strength of the individual’s immune system.
“These organisms found in sewage can infect different parts of the body through different exposure routes”, Mena told CTV News Channel Tuesday.
Some athletes have been taking antibiotics, bleaching their oars and training in plastic suits.
The AP’s survey of the aquatic Olympic and Paralympic venues has revealed consistent and dangerously high levels of viruses from the pollution, a major black eye on Rio’s Olympic project that has set off alarm bells among sailors, rowers and open-water swimmers.
A medical expert offers advice to athletes and tourists traveling to Rio for the Olympics: “Don’t put your head under water“.
But scientists say the superbug is also washing up on some of Rio’s most popular tourist beaches, which are already deemed too polluted to swim in by authorities for a good third of the year.
That disparity was borne out in the AP’s testing. Whether those infected will get sick will depend on their immune systems and the extent of their ingestion of the water.
There have been many drives to improve water quality in ports as well as ships, which account for up to 90% of moving global trade, but represent around 3-4% of global emissions.
Rio dumps at least half of its untreated sewage into the water surrounding the city, soiling many of its world-famous beaches. The fridges, TVs and computers once seen floating in the water are gone.
“The water is much better”.
“That’s a very, very, very high percentage”, Dr. Valerie Harwood, chair of the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of South Florida, told the AP. “And frankly, if it was that bad, my family would be dead”.
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“We are going to do daily tests during the games and we do not expect to have any problems of non-conformity in the race areas, but we are prepared with contingency measures if needed”.
