The Olympics begin in mere days — and Rio de Janeiro's waterways are still teeming with trash, bacteria, viruses, and human sewage.
A 16-month study commissioned by the Associated Press has found that polluted water at many Olympic venues and tourist hotspots could cause "violent" illness. The highly infectious adenovirus, for example, was detected at 90% of test sites.
The findings prompted one expert to give tourists and athletes an ominous warning: "Don't put your head underwater," Dr. Valerie Harwood, the chair of the University of South Florida's department of integrative biology, told the AP. Athletes competing in water events are being told to "keep their mouths closed."
Here's what Rio's dirty waters look like up close, and from above.
Rio's pollution problem is not new. "It's been decades and I see no improvement," Brazilian biologist and environmental activist Mario Moscatelli told the AP.
The city promised to pour $1 billion into water cleanup efforts when they made their Olympic bid in 2009, the AP reports.
But sewage can still be seen flowing in the city's waterways.
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