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AP: Rio's waters for Olympic Games contain "dangerously high levels of human feces"

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C

chubigans

y'all should be ashamed
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AP Investigation: Olympic teams to swim, boat in Rio's filth

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Athletes in next year's Summer Olympics here will be swimming and boating in waters so contaminated with human feces that they risk becoming violently ill and unable to compete in the games, an Associated Press investigation has found.

An AP analysis of water quality revealed dangerously high levels of viruses and bacteria from human sewage in Olympic and Paralympic venues — results that alarmed international experts and dismayed competitors training in Rio, some of whom have already fallen ill with fevers, vomiting and diarrhea.

It is the first independent comprehensive testing for both viruses and bacteria at the Olympic sites.

Brazilian officials have assured that the water will be safe for the Olympic athletes and the medical director of the International Olympic Committee said all was on track for providing safe competing venues. But neither the government nor the IOC tests for viruses, relying on bacteria testing only.
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The concentrations of the viruses in all tests were roughly equivalent to that seen in raw sewage — even at one of the least-polluted areas tested, the Copacabana Beach, where marathon and triathlon swimming will take place and where many of the expected 350,000 foreign tourists may take a dip.

"Everybody runs the risk of infection in these polluted waters," said Dr. Carlos Terra, a hepatologist and head of a Rio-based association of doctors specializing in the research and treatment of liver diseases.

Kristina Mena, a U.S. expert in risk assessment for waterborne viruses, examined the AP data and estimated that international athletes at all water venues would have a 99 percent chance of infection if they ingested just three teaspoons of water — though whether a person will fall ill depends on immunity and other factors.

Besides swimmers, athletes in sailing, canoeing and to a lesser degree rowing often get drenched when competing, and breathe in mist as well. Viruses can enter the body through the mouth, eyes, any orifice, or even a small cut.
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The Rodrigo de Freitas Lake, which was largely cleaned up in recent years, was thought be safe for rowers and canoers. Yet AP tests found its waters to be among the most polluted for Olympic sites, with results ranging from 14 million adenoviruses per liter on the low end to 1.7 billion per liter at the high end.

By comparison, water quality experts who monitor beaches in Southern California become alarmed if they see viral counts reaching 1,000 per liter.

"If I were going to be in the Olympics," said Griffith, the California water expert, "I would probably go early and get exposed and build up my immunity system to these viruses before I had to compete, because I don't see how they're going to solve this sewage problem."

However, Dr. Richard Budgett, the medical director for the International Olympic Committee, said after seeing the AP findings that the IOC and Brazilian authorities should stick to their program of testing only for bacteria to determine whether the water is safe for athletes.

"We've had reassurances from the World Health Organization and others that there is no significant risk to athlete health," he told the AP on the sidelines of an IOC meeting in Malaysia.
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Much more at the link. Holy crap.
 
J

jtb

Banned
The hosting process for the Olympic games has become (was always?) a fucking farce, just like the World Cup.
 
P

Poodlestrike

Banned
This has just been a banner decade or so for the olympics, huh? Athletes getting trapped in Sochi's hotel bathrooms, now cholera in Rio!
 
S

Slayven

Member
I swear i heard the same thing last year and they were suppose to clean it up.


I guess Olympians better stuck up on antibiotics
 
Amory

Amory

Member
This is why I was laughing when people were saying Boston could help improve its standing as a "world class" city if it got the olympics.

Hosting the olympics means nothing other than your city's leadership got duped.
 
M

Macadinho

Banned
It doesn't help when a vast proportion of the city live in Favela's with no proper sewage systems. Raw sewage probably lies on the street in a lot of places too...
 
C

chuckddd

Fear of a GAF Planet
Where did Brazil get all the bribe money? World Cup and then the Olympics. That's got to be close to a billion dollars in illicit funding.
 
K

Kin5290

Member
This is terrifying.

It doesn't help that the government seems so corrupt and ineffectual. Also in the article is a story about a Japanese funded sanitation overhaul program that went absolutely nowhere due to mismanagement.
 
S

sangreal

Member
I've stopped paying attention to these stories. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me every time there is an international competition -- you can't fool me twice
 
M

Mimosa97

Member
Just drench yourself in sewage water everyday as part of your training. Build that immune system. Plus the venue is free.

Or start eating ass if you're looking for a fun workout
 
C

Calamari41

41 > 38
Going from the practically flawless, immaculate, and well oiled London Olympics to the situation in Rio is going to be quite a sight to behold.
 
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