'Super Bacteria' Found In Rio's Olympic Waters 'Super Bacteria' Found In Rio's Olympic Waters 'Super Bacteria' Found In Rio's Olympic Waters In their Olympic bid, organizers pledged to slash by 80 percent the amount of sewage and rubbish that's pumped into the bay daily, but critics insist little has been done. Drug-resistant 'superbug' is found in Rio bay where Olympic sailing and windsurfing events will be held, prompting fresh concerns over city's sewage disposal A drug-resistant 'superbug' that is notoriously difficult to treat has been discovered in the waters where Rio de Janeiro's Olympic sailing events will be held. Scientists have warned of a danger to swimmers from the contaminated water, with the so-called KPC enzyme being notoriously difficult to treat. Those who come into contact with the bug can require hospitalization, or in some cases, become carriers of the micro-organism, researchers claim. The Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Brazil's most respected health research institute, said it had discovered bacteria that produce the enzyme in water samples taken from various spots along the Carioca River, Rio de Janeiro. Among the spots is where the river flows into the city's Guanabara Bay, site of the 2016 sailing and wind surfing events. Bacteria with the KPC enzyme are difficult to treat. However, the institute said no instances of infection resulting from the contaminated water have yet been detected. The study's co-ordinator, Ana Paula D'Alincourt Carvalho Assef, said: 'The illnesses caused by these micro-organisms are the same as those caused by common bacteria, but they require stronger antibiotics and, sometimes, can require hospitalization. 'Since the super bacteria are resistant to the most modern medications, doctors need to rely on drugs that are rarely used because they are toxic to the organism. 'Carriers can take these resistant bacteria back to their own environments and to other people, resulting in a cycle of dissemination,' said the institute, which is affiliated with Brazil's Health Ministry. With some 70 percent of sewage in the city of 12 million going untreated — and flowing, raw, into rivers, onto beaches and into the Guanabara Bay — the state of water quality has been a major worry ahead of the 2016 summer games. In their Olympic bid, organizers pledged to slash by 80 percent the amount of sewage and garbage that's pumped into the bay daily, but critics insist little has been done. Water quality tests still show sky-high levels of fecal matter throughout much of the bay, and authorities have a near-blanket standing recommendation against swimming on any of its beaches. Flamengo beach, where the super bacteria was discovered, is among the Guanabara Bay beaches considered unfit for swimming. The beach, which is adjacent to the Gloria Marina, the starting point for the Olympic sailing events, is also to be the viewing area for the events. Ben Remocker, a former member of Canada's Olympic sailing team who represents athletes in two sailing disciplines, called the findings 'serious for our athletes.' 'We're going to be troubled by this,' he said, adding he didn't think the possible health risks would dissuade sailors from taking part in the games. 'I think the sailors are probably going to cross their fingers they aren't going to get sick.' The super bacteria were discovered in three out of five samples taken from along the course of the Carioca River. It's not entirely clear how the bacteria may have gotten into the river. 'The first point in which we detect its presence was... after the river passes through areas with homes and hospitals,' Assef said. Organizers of the Rio games declined to comment, saying they would have to look into the findings before responding.

• published: 16 Dec 2014
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