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The Associated Press reports some disturbing data on the water quality in Rio De Janeiro, site of the 2016 Summer Olympics. Sewage treatment in Rio is in a sad state. There have been some half-assed efforts to build treatment plants, but they haven't kept pace with the city's rapid population growth, and most of the sewage just flows into rivers and streams untreated. The AP commissioned a study to measure bacteria and viruses in the outdoor water sport venues as well as some tourist beaches, and found dangerously high levels of pathogens in all of them.
Ivan Bulaja, the Croatian-born coach of Austria's 49er-class sailing team, has seen it firsthand. His sailors have lost valuable training days after falling ill with vomiting and diarrhea. "This is by far the worst water quality we've ever seen in our sailing careers," said Bulaja.
Training earlier this month in Guanabara Bay, Austrian sailor David Hussl said he and his teammates take precautions, washing their faces immediately with bottled water when they get splashed by waves and showering the minute they return to shore. And yet Hussl said he's fallen ill several times.
"I've had high temperatures and problems with my stomach," he said. "It's always one day completely in bed and then usually not sailing for two or three days." It is a huge risk for the athletes, the coach said.
"The Olympic medal is something that you live your life for," Bulaja said, "and it can really happen that just a few days before the competition you get ill and you're not able to perform at all."
Dr. Alberto Chebabo, who heads Rio's Infectious Diseases Society, said the raw sewage has led to "endemic" public health woes among Brazilians, primarily infectious diarrhea in children. By adolescence, he said, people in Rio have been so exposed to the viruses they build up antibodies. But foreign athletes and tourists won't have that protection.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by morgauxo on Friday July 31 2015, @06:33PM
I was going to reply about what a giant reach this comment is making then I noticed the name. I almost tried to use reason with Ethanol-fueled! What was I thinking?
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Runaway1956 on Friday July 31 2015, @06:48PM
The guy may be off his meds - but he's not terribly wrong. As individuals, we may be among the most healthy people on the earth. As a population, we are steadily breeding ourselves into wimpdom. Natural selection says the weak die, and the strong survive. We defy nature, going to extremes to ensure that the weak survive, while sending our strongest off to die in stupid, pointless wars.
(Score: 4, Touché) by FrogBlast on Friday July 31 2015, @07:43PM
I had a whole rebuttal planned, about ethics and the meaning of genetic fitness in a society that can afford to support valuable people of very different physical capabilities. Then I bothered to look up the US and Rio De Janeiro infant mortality rates. They're pretty-much identical. I'll pack it all up and save it for when I have a leg to stand on...
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Saturday August 01 2015, @01:29AM
Cool. It's good for a person to take a stand, and to argue his position. But we should all remember that there are AT LEAST two sides to every story.
I'm a softie. I can't pull the plug on someone who depends on life support, exotic drugs, expensive treatments, or anything else. But, I'm also very aware that "modern medicine" is often times motivated by profit. Sometimes, profit and the quality of life are at odds with each other.
(Score: 2) by morgauxo on Monday August 03 2015, @08:36PM
I don't disagree but I can't accept the idea that the answer is found in exposing oneself to untreated sewage.
I think we should let our immune systems practice on the common cold, not cholera.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Friday July 31 2015, @11:11PM
Among the reasons American children are not as resistant to disease as they once were is that American cleaning products are so effective at killing germs. While hand sanitizer only kill bacteria many cleaning products kill viruses as well.
My ex wife Bonita Hatcher was a marine biologist. She explained this to me then pointed out that toddlers like to eat dirt because it innoculates them. Molecular biologist Ann Brolly said "The Clean Baby Hypothesis" is widely accepted by the scientific community.
The reason one should not eat meat from animals treated with antibiotics is not that those antibiotics are present in the meat but that using antibiotics to increase livestock weight promotes bacterial resistance to those antibiotics. I am especially concerned about pork and fowl; their diseases sometimes jump species to human hosts.
Many countries do not require physician prescriptions for medicines that require them in the US. I dont actually know but expect this leads many to take antibiotics for viral duseases as the common cold for which they are completely inneffective. Again this breeds superbugs.
I dont get flu shots however in 2006 I got a booster shot for tetanus - due for another soon - and when I was fifteen I was vaccinated for typhus. Sometime soon I will get a rabies vaccination as I would like to volunteer at animal shelters.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 2) by morgauxo on Monday August 03 2015, @08:45PM
Dirt is one thing. Would you let your kid drink sewage?