Experts explain that contact with unsafe water can cause gastrointestinal symptoms
In recent days, tourists and residents of the cities on the coast of São Paulo have begun to show symptoms of the “virus”. On social media, internet users complain of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and even fever.
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In a public statement, the government of the State of Sao Paulo provided some guidelines to prevent cases of the virus and asked the population to pay particular attention to hygiene and nutrition and avoid swimming in the sea on non-public beaches. suitable.
According to information from the latest bulletin of the Environmental Company of the State of São Paulo (Cetesb), of the 175 monitored beaches on the coast, 38 are not suitable for swimming. Therefore the recommendation is to find out about the state of the beach before entering the water.
According to experts, contact with beaches unsuitable for bathing, whether in the sand or in the water, can cause illnesses due to exposure to bacteria.
According to Ana Paula Pierro, dermatologist at the Beneficência Portuguesa in São Paulo, anyone who comes into contact with the sand of an unsuitable beach runs the risk of contracting: larva migrans, which is the geographical insect, mycosis due to animal faeces on the beach and irritations and burns from algae and jellyfish. In the case of water you can have: gastroenteritis, salmonella, simplex and even toxoplasmosis.
In case of contact, medical treatment is necessary. “To protect yourself, you should not enter the water. In the case of the beach, the sand, do not sit directly on the sand, sit on a towel, on a chair, so as not to have direct contact with the sand”, explains the professional in an interview with Earth.
How are unsuitable beaches identified?
This is a service offered by the government – in the case of São Paulo, by Cetesb – which evaluates bathing capacity, a term that refers to the quality of the water used for primary contact recreational activities, i.e. activities involving direct contact and prolonged with water, such as swimming, diving and water skiing. In these activities there is a high possibility of accidental ingestion of water.
To evaluate this, according to Cetesb, beaches are classified into two categories based on the density of fecal bacteria: correct and improper.
Samples are collected over five consecutive weeks. The legislation establishes three microbiological indicators to evaluate fecal pollution: thermotolerant coliforms (formerly known as fecal coliforms), Escherichia coli and enterococci.
According to Marine Water Agency criteria, for a beach to be considered unsuitable, the presence of enterococci must have densities greater than 100 CFU/100 mL, in two or more samples from a set of five, or with values greater than 400 CFU/100 mL in the last sampling.
A beach may also be classified as unsuitable in other situations, such as the presence of oils, instances of red tide, potentially toxic algal blooms, or outbreaks of waterborne diseases.
“The beaches are marked with flags based on quality, the red one indicates unsuitable conditions. In this case Cetesb’s recommendation is that the population does not enter the sea. Furthermore, it is not advisable to bathe in the water 24 hours after the rain,” the Sao Paulo government said in a statement.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
