A swim advisory was lifted for two Miami-Dade beaches on Tuesday after testing for acceptable levels of bacteria, the Florida Department of Health said. According to FDOH, Enterococcus bacteria samples collected at Bark Beach and Golden Beach met recreational standards, and the swim advisory was lifted.
What are Enterococci?
Enterococci are bacteria that live in the intestinal tract of humans and animals, and can indicate that there is fecal pollution in an area, which can come from stormwater runoff, pets and wildlife, and human sewage. FDOH said that the bacteria can be ingested or enter the skin through a cut if there is a high concentration in the water.
Exposure to Enterococci can cause disease, infections or rashes. Enterococci are different from cyclosporiasis, which is a parasite that can cause weeks of diarrhea. According to FDOH, around 50 cases of cyclosporiasis have been reported since the outbreak began in May.
Original reporting: NBC6 Miami — read the source article.
