Main reason I stopped diving or entering water is skin eating bacteria

[The Chairman]

They've closed the beaches in Missouri.

 

[Chidiver1]

This stuff is getting out of hand. It's being found in the sand now in places.

 

[Kimela]

They've closed the beaches in Missouri.

I'm not seeing the closures on the State Parks website. I'm not going to any beaches locally, but are you sure about your info source on this?

 

[The Chairman]

I'm not seeing the closures on the State Parks website. I'm not going to any beaches locally, but are you sure about your info source on this?

Local news story.

 

[The Chairman]

Here's a cool site: State, Territorial, Tribal and EPA Beach Program Contacts | US EPA

Let's hope it's current.

 

[KathyV]

@STB

Cayman authorities claim that it isn't an issue in their waters because the conditions are different, see below:

Is flesh-eating disease a concern here?

If you have reason to be concerned about entering your local waters perhaps you should look for destinations that haven't had any cases reported, that is if you want to continue diving.

 

[The Chairman]

I read a statistic that %60 of American diseases have been affected by poor water quality to the point of being closed at least one day this past year. The most common cause was fecal pollution.

 

[KathyV]

I read a statistic that %60 of American diseases have been affected by poor water quality to the point of being closed at least one day this past year. The most common cause was fecal pollution.

There have been suggestions that the heavy influx of sargassum at marine beaches may be a factor in the increase of fecal bacteria along coastal waters, especially Enterococcus.

The except below is from a report published in 2009 by the UK government.

Unlike E. coli, another fresh water fecal pollutant, the Enterococcus species are able to survive in higher-salt concentrations and in a wider range of temperatures, and as such they may be found in marine environments.

This study concluded that there wasn't enough evidence at that time to prove that there is a relationship between beach-cast seaweed proliferation in marine environments and a risk of infection to humans; but that there is enough evidence to raise the question. The authors concluded that more research was needed.

A high influx of seaweed cuts off oxygen so that fish and other marine life die and rot and that may also increase the risks of harmful pollution and infectious contamination on marine beaches, in any areas where beaches are being inundated with a heavy influx of seaweed. Here's the citation and executive summary:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/291012/scho1009brgb-e-e.pdf

The potential risks to human health posed by living, attached seaweeds and dead, beach-cast material associated with sandy beaches: a preliminary report

University of London Marine Biological Station Millport,

Isle of Cumbrae, Scotland. 2009

The Environment Agency is the leading public body protecting and improving the environment in England and Wales.

Executive Summary

"The key question(s) of whether a) the survival time of faecal bacteria in the environment is extended when associated with macro-algae (seaweed) and b) if, in fact, it is possible for these bacteria to grow in association with seaweed remain unresolved. As these points have obvious health implications, the aim of this report was to investigate these questions as extensively as possible via the literature currently available. The main conclusions of this review were:

• The interaction between seaweeds and bacteria is poorly understood and very complex. From the literature it is known that seaweeds can support a biofilm containing substantial numbers of bacteria, although the majority of these appear to be naturally occurring marine bacteria and non-faecal in origin. However some studies have shown that the presence of faecal bacteria on this substrate cannot be excluded and more research is required in areas where there is the potential for high levels of faecal contamination (e.g. due to storm water runoff).

• There appears to be strong evidence of the association of enterococci with Cladophora glomerata particularly in the Great Lakes. C. glomerata is unlikely to be encountered on UK marine bathing beaches but this example highlights the possibility, particularly in the case of enterococci which can tolerate a wider range of temperature and salinity than E. coli, that conditions associated with particular types of macro-algae may be advantageous to the survival and even possible growth of faecal indicators in the marine environment under certain conditions.

• There are suggestions in the literature that beachcast seaweeds may be a contributing factor to elevated levels of faecal indicator organisms in the sand.

• The lack of real, detailed scientific evidence on the relationship between faecal bacteria and marine seaweeds (both living and dead) make it impossible to offer an informed judgement on whether in fact seaweeds do pose a health risk and if so the extent of this risk.

While the human health aspect of beach–cast seaweed is of the utmost importance, it is also important to consider the possible effects of seaweed removal from beaches. In coastal ecosystems beach-cast seaweed plays an important role in helping to maintain the diversity of species within this sandy shore habitat and also in helping to provide sand stability to the beaches. The implications to the overall health of a beach ecosystem of the removal of macro-algae have therefore also to be considered..."