More than 100 beaches across the United States have been closed in the middle of summer because their waters are contaminated with deadly bacteria.
Public health officials in California, Michigan and New York issued beach closures citing “high levels” of unspecified bacteria, but Massachusetts named the group or genus of bacteria Enterococcus as the main marker of threat to its own beaches.
Enterococcus The bacteria are known to cause urinary tract infections, blood infections and endocarditis, an inflammation of the inner lining of the heart that can be fatal if not treated with antibiotics and sometimes surgery.
The combination of drought and heavy rains has overwhelmed municipal sewage systems, experts said, causing sewage to overflow into oceans, lakes and rivers.
More than 100 beaches across the United States have been closed in the middle of summer because their waters are contaminated with deadly bacteria. One group of those bacteria, Enterococcuscan cause endocarditis, an inflammation of the lining of the heart that can be fatal if left untreated.
OhEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials said Enterococcuswhich normally live in the intestinal tract of warm-blooded animals, including humans, can “indicate possible contamination of streams and rivers by fecal waste.”
For this reason, researchers use tests to Enterococcus as a means of estimating the raw wastewater content of a given water supply.
This group of bacteria serves as a marker that other new, toxic, exotic, or even unknown diseases (which also thrive in raw sewage) may likely be present alongside common dangerous bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coliand Vibrio cholera.
Massachusetts has had to close at least 37 beaches so far this summer, including Long Cove along the wealthy island enclave of Martha’s Vineyard.
And at least one of the summer hot spots in the exclusive New York town of East Hampton, Havens Beach, has also been closed due to problems with fecal matter and bacteria.
Across Michigan’s lakeside recreation areas, five beaches are now temporarily closed due to “high levels of bacteria,” including Port Sanilac State Park on Lake Huron.
The New York State Department of Health issued guidance last summer to identify a common bacteria in this raw sewage contamination, Vibrio vulnificusafter their infections killed three people in the state that beach season.
At least one vacation spot in Havens Beach, the exclusive town of East Hampton in New York, has been closed due to problems with the presence of fecal matter and bacteria. Above, an aerial view of some homes in the Hamptons
California has closed at least three beaches in Coronado (pictured) along San Diego Bay over the past week, warning that “bacteria levels exceed health standards.”
California also closed at least three beaches in Coronado along San Diego Bay last week, similarly warning that “bacteria levels exceed health standards.”
But while officials in those states and New York, where more than 63 beaches are closed across Long Island, did not specify exactly which bacteria raised their concerns, only Massachusetts officials referred to them explicitly. Enterococcus bacteria.
“Without treatment,” according to the Cleveland Clinic“Endocarditis can be fatal.”
Health officials attributed the influx of sewage-derived bacteria to extreme summer weather patterns: Heavy rains after long periods of drought, they said, can absorb and spread greater amounts of animal and human waste in runoff.
And these conditions can also lead to sewage overflows, as a new torrent of rainwater washes untreated sewage from the wastewater treatment pipe.
Above, a scanning electron micrograph image of an antibiotic-resistant strain of bacteria. Enterococcuswhich is known to cause urinary tract infections and wound infections.
A map showing the 56-mile stretch of Southern California’s beautiful coastline that is polluted.
To compound the problem, rising global temperatures due to climate change have raised water temperatures, creating a more hospitable environment for harmful bacteria such as Vibrio vulnificus and Staphylococcus aureusas DailyMail.com reported in June.
VibrioIn particular, he managed sicken 11 people in just three East Coast states last summer, leaving five dead, All during a chart-topping heat wave.
Earth’s changing climate has had a direct impact on the survival of bacteria and their ability to infect unsuspecting water sports enthusiasts.
This April, a South Carolina man, Brent Norman, became infected with Vibrio after accidentally stepping on contaminated seashells during his daily walk on the beach.
The flesh around his heel began to blister, turn red and swell, which his doctor later confirmed had been caused by the V. vulnificus contact Norman hired from the ocean.
Pure pain, as he said ABC4 NewsIt was “like someone had driven a nail into my foot.”
This year, San Diego County officials announced plans to address their own Bay Area’s long-standing sewage pollution problem.
Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre and San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer announced they plan to work toward state and federal funding to fix San Diego Bay’s century-old sewage problems, which have contributed significantly to Coronado’s latest beach closures.
“We need our state and federal governments to declare a state of emergency,” said Mayor Aguirre. “Our community deserves clean air and water, and we will not rest until this is resolved.”
Meanwhile, the The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all swimmers and beach-goers stay away from bodies of water, including oceans, lakes and rivers, if the water appears suspicious.
Water that is visibly cloudier than normal, discolored or has a foul odor is likely contaminated by harmful bacteria, according to the CDC.
The government health agency also warned that coastal users should be aware of pipes that drain into or near the water.
The CDC asks swimmers to stay out of the water if they have diarrhea.
