The body was initially found by a local street vendor, who reported the discovery to a newspaper in Rio de Janeiro. 

Police have not commented on the finding, the latest of many concerns heading into this year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

Police believe the victim was a woman or young adult.

In February a human arm was reportedly photographed floating in the waters of Guanabara Bay, where sailing competition is due to be held during the Games. 

It comes less than three weeks after a report claimed that drug-resistant "super-bacteria” had been found at several beaches across the city.

In 2014, researchers from the Oswaldo Cruz Institute found traces of the bacteria Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase in samples taken from Flamengo Beach, which is capable of causing urinary, gastrointestinal and pulmonary infections and often sends victims to hospital.  

It was found close to the Marina de Glória on Guanabara Bay.

Concerns have continued at the venue in the build-up to the Games, despite the clean-up of the Bay having been promised as a major legacy project.

World Sailing claimed they were "encouraged" about progress made at the site last month, but two studies have alleged that "super-bacteria" had been found at five separate beaches in the city. 

According to the news agency Reuters, a study from the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy in San Diego found that microbes were present at the Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, Botafogo and Flamengo beaches.

The latter two were found to be the worst affected with reportedly 100 and 90 per cent of samples at the two beaches having been positive for microbes respectively.

Earlier this month, construction was suspended at the Rio 2016 beach volleyball venue after a necessary permit was not presented to city officials.

Although preparations resumed four days later, it came as further embarrassment to Rio 2016 with International Tennis Federation President David Haggerty claiming last month that there was "still an awful lot of work that needs to go on" at the Olympic tennis venue.

Brazil will be expected to challenge for medals in both the men’s and women’s beach volleyball competitions at the Games, with the sport enjoying huge popularity in the country.

As a result, beach volleyball is expected to be among the most iconic events at Rio2016, and the sport is among the most in-demand ticket-wise.

Organisers are hoping to make full use of the famous Copacabana and the city's natural beauty in front of the television cameras.