High bacteria found at 14 Iowa beaches
High fecal bacteria levels led environmental officials in Iowa to post warnings at 14 state park beaches, officials said.
Bacteria levels exceeding state limits usually mean the water contains organisms that can cause stomach aches, diarrhea or skin infections, officials told the Des Moines Register.
But the levels could change quickly, falling to safe levels or rising during the Fourth of July weekend.
Authorities urged swimmers to avoid swallowing lake water and to bathe right after swimming at the beaches, which make up more than a third of the 38 state park beaches the state monitors weekly.
Elderly people and those with immune deficiencies are most vulnerable to getting sick from the water.
Gull Point State Park near Milford had the highest bacteria reading: 11 times the state level considered safe, officials said.
(Source: UPI)
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