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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 Derrick Favors Jersey . 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Australia will be without a team in the Super Rugby semi-finals for the first time in four years, with the Brumbies beaten 15-9 by the Highlanders in the opening quarter-final.The ACT franchise had several chances on Friday night to steal victory in the dying minutes but the defending champions held on to snap a decade-long losing streak at a slippery GIO Stadium.It marked the end of the Brumbies 2016 campaign and time at the club for a number of players - including co-captain Stephen Moore, playmaker Matt Toomua and David Pocock.Moore is heading back to the Queensland Reds next season, while Toomua is joining English outfit Leicester and Pocock is beginning a 12-month sabbatical.Winger Joe Tomane, who remains injured, is also leaving for France.Not since they missed the playoffs in 2012 have the Brumbies failed to advance beyond the first week of the finals, and Australia are left without a title contender.Stephen Larkhams men were kept tryless by the Highlanders, who - despite being restricted by the wet and windy conditions - scored a try in each half via winger Waisake Naholo and No.dddddddddddd8 Liam Squire.The Brumbies were denied a potentially match-winning effort in the 75th minute, with the TMO finding insufficient evidence to award Lausii Taliauli a five-pointer.Their points came only from a trio of penalty goals by Christian Lealiifano.The Highlanders came out to a flying start but the conditions quickly put a dampener on proceedings.A slew of dropped balls, wayward kicks and penalties denied both sides a chance to play some free-flowing rugby.It initially worked in the Brumbies favour, with the hosts taking a 6-3 lead off a pair of penalty goals despite a lack of possession and field position.The Highlanders snatched it back, though, with a converted try to Naholo in the 37th minute and had Matt Toomua sent to the sin-bin for repeated offences close to the line.Just one point separated the sides until the 57th minute, when Squires try sealed the victory. 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