Rio pollution

'Super bacteria' discovered in Rio's waters as Olympics near

According to lead researcher Renata Picao, the "super bacteria" entered the city's waterways when sewage coming from local hospitals got channeled into the bay.

"We have been looking for 'super bacteria' in coastal waters during a one-year period in five beaches," Picao told CNN during a visit to her lab. "We found that the threats occur in coastal waters in a variety of concentrations and that they are strongly associated with pollution."

The news comes as Rio prepares to host hundreds of thousands of athletes and tourists during next month's Summer Olympics.

Pollution concerns raised at Rio 2016 venues

In 2014, researchers from the Oswaldo Cruz Institute found traces of the bacteria Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) in samples taken from Flamengo Beach, which is capable of causing urinary, gastrointestinal and pulmonary infections and often sends victims to hospital.  

It was found close to the Marina de Gloria on Guanabara Bay, where sailing competition is due to be held at the Olympics.

Concerns have continued at the venue in the build-up to the Games, despite the clean-up of the Bay having been promised as a major legacy project.