Tests find Rio’s water unsafe, athletes at risk of infection

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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (NEWS 1130) – With just days to go until the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Rio, there are more serious concerns about the water athletes will be sailing on and swimming in.

There are alarming new results of the latest water quality tests that suggest about 1,400 athletes are at-risk. The tests were commissioned by the Associated Press finds there are disease-causing viruses in Rio’s waters measuring up to 1.7 million times of what would be worrisome in other parts of the world.

Experts are telling the media in Rio that athletes have a 99 per cent chance of getting an infection if they ingest just three teaspoons of water.
The chief spokesman for the Rio Olympics says, “I can guarantee in the name of Rio 2016 that the athletes can compete in safety.”

Some of the worst pollution is in Rio’s Guanabara Bay, which will host the sailing competition. The chief spokesman for the Games, Mario Andrada says, “We could and should have done a little better. But it does not remain a threat to the athletes. The athletes will compete in safety.”

Rio dumps at least half of its untreated sewage into the water surrounding the city, soiling many of its world-famous beaches.

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