pel-Marinelli, a former Stanford All-American who played in thr

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Just days ahead of the Olympic Games the waterways of Rio de Janeiro are as filthy as ever, contaminated with raw human sewage teeming with dangerous viruses and bacteria, according to a 16-month-long study commissioned by The Associated Press.Not only are some 1,400 athletes at risk of getting violently ill in water competitions, but the APs tests indicate that tourists also face potentially serious health risks on the golden beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana.The APs survey of the aquatic Olympic and Paralympic venues has revealed consistent and dangerously high levels of viruses from the pollution, a major black eye on Rios Olympic project that set off alarm bells among sailors, rowers and open-water swimmers.Since the AP released the initial results last July, athletes have been taking elaborate precautions to prevent illnesses that could potentially knock them out of the competition, including preventatively taking antibiotics, bleaching oars and donning plastic suits and gloves in a bid to limit contact with the water.But antibiotics combat bacterial infections, not viruses. And the AP investigation found that infectious adenovirus readings -- tested with cell cultures and verified with molecular biology protocols -- turned up at nearly 90 percent of the test sites over 16 months of testing.Thats a very, very, very high percentage, said Dr. Valerie Harwood, Chair of the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of South Florida. Seeing that level of human pathogenic virus is pretty much unheard of in surface waters in the U.S. You would never, ever see these levels because we treat our waste water. You just would not see this.While athletes take precautions, what about the 300,000-500,000 foreigners expected to descend on Rio for the Olympics? Testing at several of the citys world-famous beaches has shown that in addition to persistently high viral loads, the beaches often have levels of bacterial markers for sewage pollution that would be cause for concern abroad -- and sometimes even exceed Rio states lax water safety standards.In light of the APs findings, Harwood had one piece of advice for travelers to Rio: Dont put your head under water.Danger is lurking even in the sand. Samples from the golden beaches at Copacabana and Ipanema revealed high levels of viruses, which recent studies have suggested can pose health risks -- particularly to babies and small children.You know how quickly an infant can get dehydrated and have to go to the hospital, said Harwood. Thats the scariest point to me.While local authorities including Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes have acknowledged the failure of the citys water cleanup efforts, calling it a lost chance and a shame, Olympic officials continue to insist Rios waterways will be safe for athletes and visitors.We would never, ever risk the health or the condition of any athlete for a competition, said Mario Andrada, chief spokesman for the local organizing committee. So the health of the athletes is our first priority. And the athletes dont run a risk sailing in Guanabara Bay.The committee has previously said bacterial testing conducted by Rio state authorities has shown the aquatic venues to be within state guidelines.The crux of the issue lies in the different types of testing used to determine the health and safety of recreational waters.Bacterial tests measure levels of coliforms -- different types of bacteria that tend not to cause illnesses themselves but are indicators of the presence of other, potentially harmful sewage-borne pathogens such as other bacteria, viruses and protozoa that can cause cholera, dysentery, hepatitis A and typhoid, among other diseases. Bacterial tests are the worldwide standard because theyre cheap and easy.But theres a growing consensus that theyre not ideal for all climates, as bacteria break down quickly in tropical weather and salty marine waters. In contrast, viruses have been shown to survive for weeks, months or even years -- meaning that in tropical Rio low bacterial markers can be completely out of step with high virus levels.That disparity was borne out in the APs testing. For instance, in June 2016, the levels of fecal coliforms in water samples at Ipanema Beach were extremely low, with just 85 fecal coliforms per 100 milliliters. But still, it had high readings for rotavirus, the main cause of gastroenteritis globally, with 32.7 million rotaviruses per liter.The testing revealed alarming spikes in fecal coliform levels -- the very measure the state government uses to determine the safety of Rios recreational waters.If these were the reported values in the United States, lets say in California, there is definitely an indication of a problem, said Dr. Kristina Mena, a waterborne virus expert at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.According to Californias bacterial tests standards, 400 fecal coliforms per 100 milliliters is the upper limit for a beach to be considered safe for swimming. APs tests revealed that Copacabana Beach, where the marathon and triathlon swimming are to be held and thousands of tourists are likely to take a dip, exceeded Californias limit five times over 13 months of testing.The beaches even violate Rio states own standards, which are much less stringent than those in California, many other U.S. states and beach-loving countries such as Australia and New Zealand.Promises to clean up Rios waterways stretch back decades, with a succession of governors setting firm dates for a cleanup and repeatedly pushing them back. In the citys 2009 Olympic bid document, authorities pledged the games would regenerate Rios magnificent waterways.Just over a month before the games, biologist Mario Moscatelli spent more than two hours flying over Rio in a helicopter.Viewed from above, rivers are tar-black; the lagoons near the Olympic Park bloom with fluorescent green algae; surfers paddle amid a giant brown stain that contrasts with the azure of the surrounding waters.The Guanabara Bay has been transformed into a latrine, said Moscatelli, an activist whos the most visible face of the fight to clean up Rios waterways. Unfortunately Rio de Janeiro missed the opportunity, maybe the last big opportunity to clean it up.---Associated Press writers Peter Prengaman, Stephen Wade and Diarlei Rodrigues contributed to this report.---Peter Prengaman on Twitter: twitter.com/peterprengaman Cheap College Baseball Jerseys .Y. -- Syracuse has turned up the defence at the right time all season, and when High Point threatened to pull off a monumental upset the second-ranked Orange did what they do best with their quick hands and savvy play. Cheap North Carolina Jerseys . Haas said he "felt a lot of pain" in his right shoulder when he slammed his racket to the ground in frustration after losing his serve at 3-3 in the first set. http://www.cheapauthenticncaajerseys.com/ . Scott won the Australian PGA last week in his first event in Australia since winning the U.S. Masters in April. American Matt Kuchar, ahead by two strokes with four to play and even with Scott with one to go, double-bogeyed the 18th after taking two shots to get out of a bunker. Wholesale College Jerseys ., and Rudi Swiegers of Kipling, Sask., took sixth spot on Saturday in pairs at the NHK Trophy ISU Grand Prix figure skating competition. Cheap NCAA Football Jerseys .Y. - General manager Billy King says the Brooklyn Nets are looking to add a big man and confirmed the team worked out centre Jason Collins, who would become the first openly gay active NBA player if signed. San Antonio Stars center Jayne Appel-Marinelli announced Friday that she will retire at the end of the season after a seven-year WNBA career.Appel-Marinelli, a former Stanford All-American who played in three Final Fours, spent all seven years of her career in San Antonio. Heading into Fridays game against the Dallas Wings, Appel-Marinelli is averaging 4.0 points and 5.1 rebounds a game, starting all 29 games for the struggling Stars, who have been eliminated from postseason contention.Appel-Marinelli married Chris Marinelli, a former Stanford football player, in April and the couple live in New York. She cited the physical toll that basketball has taken on her body and her desire to start a new chapter in her life as her reassons for retirement.ddddddddddddDuring the Olympic break, I went home and I had time to reflect on what I want to do next, Appel-Marinelli said. I thought about how I feel physically and everything I still want to be able to do in my life and I feel good about my decision.Appel-Marinelli was the fifth pick in the 2010 WNBA Draft after capping her Stanford career as the Pac-12s all-time leading rebounder.Stars coach Dan Hughes called Appel-Marinelli a caring leader.Shes meant a lot to this franchise even beyond her performance on the court, said Hughes, who is also leaving at the end of this season. ' ' '