The World Health Organisation has asked the IOC to analyse virus levels in Rio de Janeiro's Olympic waters, and the governing body of world sailing says it will start doing its own independent virus tests.
The moves come after an Associated Press investigation showed a serious health risk to Olympic athletes in venues around Rio rife with sewage.
In a statement to the AP, the World Health Organisation said it suggested the International Olympic Committee start monitoring for viruses at the Rio venues.
"WHO has also advised the IOC to widen the scientific base of indicators to include viruses," the statement said.
"The risk assessment should be revised accordingly, pending the results of further analysis. The Rio Local Organising Committee and the IOC are requested to follow WHO recommendations on treatment of household and hospital waste."
A spokesman from the Rio organising committee referred comment to the IOC, which is meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
"We follow WHO advice," IOC spokesman Mark Adams said.
"The health and welfare of the athletes is a top priority for the IOC. The Rio authorities are following WHO testing standards and, according to the WHO, there is no significant risk to athletes."
Olympic organisers and the Brazilian government have tested only for bacteria to decide if the water is safe. Many experts say viruses are a far bigger problem and need to be monitored.
The International Sailing Federation said independently it would start testing for viruses.
"We're going to find someone who can do the testing for us that can safely cover what we need to know from a virus perspective as well as the bacteria perspective," Peter Sowrey, chief executive of the ISAF, said. "That's my plan."
The sailing venue in Guanabara Bay is badly polluted, as is a separate venue for rowing and canoeing - Rodrigo de Freitas lake - in central Rio.
The AP investigation also showed venues for triathlon and open-water swimming off Copacabana Beach had high virus levels that pose a threat to athletes and tourists.
In Rio, much of the waste and sewage goes untreated and runs down hillside ditches and streams into Olympic water venues that are littered with floating rubbish, household waste, and even dead animals.
At the world swimming championships in Kazan, Russia, swimmers said they were worried about the situation in Rio.
"The athletes and the athletes' commission have expressed their concern at the current problems with the quality of water, the cleanliness of the water," Vladimir Salnikov, a former Olympic gold medal winner, said.
When Rio was awarded the Olympics in 2009, it promised cleaning its waters would be an Olympic legacy. But Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes has repeatedly acknowledged this will not be done, calling it a "lost opportunity".
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