7 Terrifying Safety Concerns Olympic Sailors And Swimmers Will Have While Competing This Year

According to health experts, the waters of Guanabara bay are so disgusting, Olympic athletes will "literally be swimming in human crap."

According to the New York Times, the waters contain viruses that cause diarrhea, as well as a "superbacteria that can be fatal to people with weakened immune systems."

According to several groups of scientists, feces from a nearby hospital and municipal sewage plant pours into the water untreated. So not only is it human sewage, it's the sewage of sick humans.

Dead bodies, both animal and human, are frequently found in Guanabara Bay.

Last year, an AP investigation found that the waters contained disease levels up to 1.7 million times higher than would be considered dangerous in Southern California.

The area has already had issues with illnesses caused by the waters. Last year, nearly 25% of participants in a Rio surf competition suffered from nausea, diarrhea, or vomiting after contact with the water.

According to one public health expert, Rio's sewage system is comparable to those of "London or Paris in the 14th or 15th century." In other words, really, really not very good.