Athletes at Rio 2016 Olympics to compete in 'basically raw sewage', study reveals

[aeromotacanucks]

This is actually really disgusting

http://www.cbc.ca/news/would-you-swim-in-rio-s-polluted-waters-1.3180191

Those photos are eye openers. The health risks alone should be enough to cause concern without actually putting anyone in hamrs way

you should see São Paulo´s river. Tietê...

[Mr. Ambien]

Brazil's just taking note from China and trying to make an island of garbage to claim for their own.

[aeromotacanucks]

Brazil's just taking note from China and trying to make an island of garbage to claim for their own.

we don´t need that. we need take care of our nature...

we have a lot of "river islands" in the amazon and Fernando de Noronha. we don´t need more...

but judging the number of Haitians (HUUUUUUGE!) coming here why not just annex Haiti and turn then a new Brazilian State?

[RonMexico]

we don´t need that. we need take care of our nature...

we have a lot of "river islands" in the amazon and Fernando de Noronha. we don´t need more...

but judging the number of Haitians (HUUUUUUGE!) coming here why not just annex Haiti and turn then a new Brazilian State?

I don't think any country wants to claim Haiti. It's a dump and gets leveled by a hurricane every other year. That is one country that should just be abandoned totally.

[DonLever]

Could anyone explain why is Brazil,a 3rd world country with widespread poverty, crime, and corruption is hosting the 2016 Olympic games?

They can't afford to feed its own people yet they are spending multi billions on sporting events.

[Lucky Day]

Brazilian Churascaria with a touch of plague

[aeromotacanucks]

just to show people overseas how Brazil is on the verge of a caos/revolution here´s what´s happening now at this very second...

our "president" is doing it´s speech on national TV and what´s happening?

people are beating their pots in protest and saying "f$&% you Dilma", "Get out commies!" or the traditional "We´re not f4&%$ Cuba!"

another mass protest is coming on August 16th. I´m wondering how far the military will let this go before the country turns into a civil war...

[aeromotacanucks]

Could anyone explain why is Brazil,a 3rd world country with widespread poverty, crime, and corruption is hosting the 2016 Olympic games?

They can't afford to feed its own people yet they are spending multi billions on sporting events.

don´t confuse Rio de Janeiro with the entire country...

we´re not a "3rd world country", he have the biofuel tecnology since 1970 and we use Etanol as fuel normaly...

also if you ever flew an Embraer plane (ERJ or the EMB-120 Turboprop) you flew a Brazilian product, made in a city close to São Paulo...

also some areas are well served. the problem relies on our stupid politicians. get rid of them all and Brazil will become much better...

Rio de Janeiro is a caos. IOC should have choosen Florianopolis instead. WAAAAAAAAY better...

[Mr. Ambien]

World Health Organization backs viral testing of Rio's waters

RIO DE JANEIRO -- The World Health Organization's top water expert said Friday the body "never advised against viral testing" for Rio de Janeiro's polluted waterways where about 1,400 athletes will compete in Olympic events next year.

Bruce Gordon, the WHO's co-ordinator of water, sanitation, hygiene and health, told The Associated Press in a phone interview from Geneva that testing for viruses "would be advisable" given its known that human sewage pollution is rife in Rio's waters.

"WHO would support additional viral testing to further inform the risk assessment by authorities and to verify and address concerns raised by independent testing," Gordon said, indicating it was WHO's official stance. "In this case, measuring coliphages and enteric viruses would be advisable."

The comments come after Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi said earlier this week that the International Olympic Committee ruled out viral testing because the WHO made it "very clear that bacterial testing is what should be followed."

The issue of more robust testing for Rio's waterways is in the spotlight following an independent, five-month AP analysis published July 30 of samples from each of the venues where athletes will have contact with water.

The results showed dangerously high levels of disease-causing viruses from human sewage at all water venues for next year's games, with an expert's risk assessment saying it was an almost certainty athletes would be infected by viruses, regardless of their sport, be it rowing, swimming or sailing. That doesn't automatically mean an athlete would fall ill -- that depends on numerous factors, including their immune system.

The AP tested Rio's waters for three types of human adenovirus, as well as rotavirus, enterovirus and bacterial fecal coliforms. The viruses can cause stomach and respiratory ailments that would easily knock an athlete out of competition. The viruses can cause more serious, though rarer, ailments including heart and brain inflammation.

Brazil and nearly all nations rely on bacterial "markers" to determine the safety of recreational water. However, scientists have been pushing in recent years to include testing for specific disease-causing viruses in waters, as medical experts note that most waterborne illnesses are actually viral in nature.

"The WHO absolutely cares about viral pathogens," Gordon said. "Viral pathogens can absolutely be assumed to be in water that's impacted by sewage. We know it will be there."

He said that in Rio's waterways, "we know there is a problem."

"There is massive contamination and it's sad to see on the news," he said. "The WHO doesn't want to see people get sick, whether they're athletes or residents."

Gordon emphasized that standard bacterial testing should absolutely be done, and that the most important issue of all was not the monitoring but what Rio authorities would do to stop the massive flow of raw sewage into the city's waterways. For decades, the city has made little headway on building out a sewerage system.

Olympic officials didn't immediately respond to emailed requests for comment, sent after hours at the IOC's Switzerland-based headquarters.

http://www.calgarysun.com/2015/08/14/world-health-organization-backs-viral-testing-of-rios-waters

I'm really amazed people are even allowed to be in this water, never mind compete at a formal event like the Olympics.