Swim Alert! Bacteria Shuts Beaches in 10 States of the US 

Swim Alert! Bacteria Shuts Beaches in 10 States of the US. Credit | AP
Swim Alert! Bacteria Shuts Beaches in 10 States of the US. Credit | AP

United States: In the latest development, ten states have closed their beaches, or delivered warnings against swimming in them owing to the presence of a high amount of bacteria before the onset of the Fourth of July holiday. 

More about the news 

As per the reports, the closure of the beaches came to light when the presence of such bacteria was identified, which comes from fecal waste, along with the presence of other types of bacteria, at a harmful amount such as cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, which is usually life in freshwater. 

In Illinois, the advisory mentioned the closure of sixteen beaches, whereas Michigan made the announcement for the closure of two of its beaches, along with five swimming advisories. 

Swim Alert! Bacteria Shuts Beaches in 10 States of the US. Credit | Getty Images
Swim Alert! Bacteria Shuts Beaches in 10 States of the US. Credit | Getty Images

In Vermont, there are six locations where high alerts are being noticed due to the presence of cyanobacteria, as NBC News reported. 

Beaches close due to bacterial presence 

Usually, beaches in various US states close every year owing to high levels of harmful bacteria. 

The reports from Environment America, a US-based environmental research and policy center, noted that more than half of the beaches that were tested experienced at least one day with unsafe levels of fecal contamination in 2022. It was compared with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) standards, as NBC News reported. 

Harms caused by such bacteria 

The harms posed by such toxic bacteria are very serious, such as those related to gastrointestinal disease and other organ failures in the body. Among the most vulnerable, children and old people are at a larger risk of getting sick. 

Cyanobacterial algal bloom contamination could even cause life-threatening health illnesses, as cyanobacteria produce microcystin, a toxin that damages both the kidneys and liver, as well as hampers the reproductive system.