Swimmers have been warned to avoid several Maine beaches after officials made a sickening discovery in the water.
Beaches in Portland, Ogunquit, Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Camden, Rockport and more were marked by high levels of bacteria on Friday, reported Maine News Center.
While members of the Maine Healthy Beaches program were conducting routine testing, officials discovered alarming levels of enterococcus bacteria, microorganisms that indicate possible contamination from fecal waste.
Maine Department of Environmental Protection Coordinator Meagan Sims told the local media outlet that signs are often posted on shorelines to warn beachgoers if a notice has been posted.
“Our protocol when we have elevated bacteria is to always do everything we can to what we call resampling that location,” Sims said.
Beachgoers have been warned to avoid several Maine beaches, including Kennebunkport (pictured), due to high levels of enterococci bacteria.
Enterococcus does not cause flesh-rotting necrotizing fasciitis, but it still causes serious health problems.
Bacteria are a common cause of urinary tract infections, endocarditis (an infection in the lining of the heart valves), and blood infections.
It enters the body through ingestion of contaminated water or contact with an open wound. Infection through wounds can lead to abscesses.
In addition to causing urinary tract infections, which affect the bladder, urethra and kidneys, and endocarditis, enterococcus can cause bloodstream infections called bacteremia, meningitis that causes inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain, and gum infections.
Infections are typically treated with antibiotics, but many strains have evolved to evade the drugs, posing challenges to effective treatment.
In addition to potential exposure to bacteria, other Maine officials are sounding the alarm about other dangers to beach safety.
Old Orchard Beach lifeguards have had to cut off several people from rip currents, and erosion caused by unseasonal storms has presented new dangers.
Maine officials are sounding the alarm about dangers at Old Orchard Beach (pictured), such as rip currents and erosion hazards.
“It’s going to be a challenging summer for our public safety,” said Old Orchard Beach Fire Chief John Gilboy. WMTW.
“Last winter’s storms really altered the beach, and that’s damaging a lot of the dunes. It changed the ocean floor, so we now have sandbars in places where we didn’t have them before, and rip currents in places where we didn’t have them before.”
At least five feet of sand has washed under the pier, leaving rocks, debris and pipes exposed.
On Tuesday, dozens of beaches in San Diego were closed because sewage was creating alarmingly high levels of bacteria in open waters.
Water contact closures were issued for Silver Strand Shoreline, Imperial Beach Shorelines and Tijuana Slough Shoreline, along the US-Mexico border.
Advisories were issued for La Jolla, Children’s Pool, Coronado, Coronado Lifeguard Tower, Ocean Beach, Dog Beach, the mouth of the San Diego River, Mission Bay, North Cove and Vacation Isle.
