SWIMMERS should double check before heading to the beach this July 4 weekend as a disgusting problem has washed up on more than 100 shores.
The closures and advisories are affecting coastlines and lakes in at least 12 US states.
Officials are warning beachgoers of a growing and dangerous health threat lurking in the water.
The issue stems from alarming levels of fecal bacteria found in swimming areas, with experts linking the surge to sewage, storm runoff, and warm temperatures.
At least 12 states have issued alerts, shutting down more than 100 beaches or flagging them with warnings.
Massachusetts has the highest number of impacted sites, with 26 closures or advisories in effect.
Illinois comes next, flagging at least 24 beaches for above-safe bacteria levels.
Vermont has closed 19 beaches, while Wisconsin has reported 14 closures or advisories.
New York, New Jersey, Michigan, California, Oregon, Missouri, New Hampshire and Washington have also issued alerts.
Most alerts are triggered when E. coli levels exceed 235 colonies per 100 milliliters of water.
The bacteria can cause diarrhea, vomiting, and serious infections, especially in children and the elderly.
Edward Dudley, director of the E. Coli Reference Center at Penn State University, told NBC News that testing is standard, and closures are common.
The Environmental Protection Agency sets the threshold, but states decide how often to test and how quickly to act.
Illinois, for example, monitors public beaches every two weeks.
Experts say bacteria levels rise in the summer due to increased human activity, heat, and heavy rainfall.
But the danger doesn’t stop at E. coli.
Vibrio vulnificus, a flesh-eating bacteria that thrives in warm saltwater, is also on the radar.
“It’s a rare thing right now with increasing trends in the entire country, but that’s something that we are really concerned about — what is going to be present in the coastal waters,” said Antarpreet Jutla, a University of Florida researcher.
The bug can enter the body through small cuts and kills one in five infected patients.
One Florida woman, Debbie King, needed her leg amputated after a minor scrape led to a vibrio infection in 2023.
She initially thought it was sunburn but ended up in the emergency room days later, the Daily Mail reported.
Another deadly microbe, Naegleria fowleri, is found in freshwater and attacks the brain through the nose.
It has a 97 percent fatality rate, with only five known US survivors.
Maryland resident Ryan Perry was one of them, infected after jet skiing on a river in 2019.
He was hospitalized for weeks and had to relearn basic movements during recovery.
New York officials warned in Suffolk County that contaminated water can also lead to ear, eye, nose, and throat infections.
North Carolina officials flagged Lake Norman for a different threat – toxic algae blooms that look green or scummy.
Source : https://www.the-sun.com/travel/14631479/dozens-us-beaches-shut-down-before-holiday-weekend/
