Data presented at ICAAC 2014 indicate the presence of carbapenem-resistant bacteria in the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon in Rio de Janeiro,  which is the designated venue for rowing events during the 2016 Olympics.

The researchers also found bacteria producing the Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenamase in the Carioca River, which flows through several neighborhoods in Rio de Janeiro, and into Flamengo Beach, according to the researchers from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation.

“The presence of isolates resistant to carbapenems in [these bodies of water] highlights that aquatic environments can be a reservoir of resistance genes,” the researchers wrote. “The utilization of these waters could facilitate a global spread of this and other important antimicrobial resistance genes.”