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RE: Swimmers should take E. coli warnings seriously
Currently we are studying impacts of freshwater caged aquaculture in
Ontario (Georgian Bay and North Channel) on water quality and out of
curiosity I plated fish feces and the result was 0 e.coli.
Jacqui
Jacqui Milne B.Sc.
Research Assistant
Environment Canada
Aquatic Ecosystem Management Research Division
867 Lakeshore Rd.
Burlington, Ont.
L7R 4A6
tel: 905-336-6432
fax: 905-336-4699
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-beachnet@great-lakes.net
[mailto:owner-beachnet@great-lakes.net] On Behalf Of Joan Rose
Sent: Wednesday, July 18, 2007 11:04 PM
To: Alm, Elizabeth Wheeler; Shannon Briggs; beachnet@great-lakes.net
Subject: *****SPAM***** Re: Swimmers should take E. coli warnings
seriously
Birds are warm blooded animals but are not mammals of course. Thus
probably because of their body temperature (unlike amphibians and fish
etc) they can support these enteric bacteria.
Fish only have these bacteria in their gut when they are raised in
sewage.
this has been shown in a number of countries. Remember that some
amphibians can be colonized with Salmonella and are sources of
infection.
So there is always an exception.
Joan
Joan B. Rose, PhD
Homer Nowlin Chair in Water Research
Michigan State University
13 Natural Resources
E. Lansing MI 48824
517-432-4412 (ph)
517-432-1699 (fax)
rosejo@msu.edu
----- Original Message -----
From: "Alm, Elizabeth Wheeler" <alm1ew@cmich.edu>
To: "Shannon Briggs" <briggssl@michigan.gov>; <beachnet@great-lakes.net>
Sent: Wednesday, July 18, 2007 8:58 AM
Subject: RE: Swimmers should take E. coli warnings seriously
I have a question for the group. Articles like this and others say that
E.
coli is found in warm-blooded animals. Birds are not "warm-blooded
animals"
are they? yet we know that some birds, particularly in the US carry E.
coli
(although David Gordon from Australia says that birds have very low
levels
of E. coli, Australian birds I presume). Also reptiles carry E. coli and
I'm
pretty sure amphibians do too. Do fish? I haven't ever looked myself,
has
anyone of the group?
I've been taking transects this summer at beaches along the west coast
of
Lake Michigan and I can have 0 CFU/mL E. coli in the beach water, 60
CFU/mL
in the subsurface sand directly below where the water came from, and
1050
CFU/mL E. coli in the swash sand just a meter up beach from the sub and
water samples... and these are dry weather days.
When I read this article I am still thinking that re-suspension of E.
coli
from the beach face is as likely as washing of pet waste and duck
droppings
into the bay. Any thoughts???
Elizabeth Alm, Ph.D.
Professor, Microbiology
Central Michigan University
________________________________
From: owner-beachnet@great-lakes.net on behalf of Shannon Briggs
Sent: Wed 7/18/2007 8:35 AM
To: beachnet@great-lakes.net
Subject: Swimmers should take E. coli warnings seriously
please see editorial in local paper
http://www.record-eagle.com/2007/jul/17edit.htm
07/17/2007
Editorial
Swimmers should take E. coli warnings seriously
The issue:
E. coli warnings
Our view:
It's a serious issue
See related story:
Advisory warns of E. coli at area beaches - July 11, 2007
Send a letter to the editor
Swimmers should take E. coli warnings seriously
Get used to it.
If we have more big rainstorms, we're probably going to see more E. coli
warnings this summer like those issued last week for West and East Bay
beaches.
Local health officials changed their protocol this year for putting out
the
advisories. In past years, they issued alerts after the second day of
high
counts because the counts often went down within 24 hours after a storm.
This year, public warnings are issued on the first day.
High E. coli counts are an indicator of unhealthy water and the need for
individuals, local governments and state agencies to ratchet up
monitoring,
public education efforts and policies that safeguard Grand Traverse Bay
and
the people who use it.
Here are some things we can do:
* Take the warnings seriously.
A high E. coli count is an indicator of fecal matter in the water.
Warnings
are issued if more than 300 colonies of E. coli are found in 100
milliliters
of water, or about a tenth of a quart. The bacteria is found naturally
in
the digestive systems of warm-blooded animals, including humans. High
counts
mean that full-body contact with contaminated water can cause stomach
aches,
diarrhea, vomiting or other illnesses. Older adults, young children and
people with compromised immune systems are especially vulnerable.
* Understand the underlying cause.
E. coli warnings in this region rarely have something to do with sewage
spills. Most alerts come after heavy rains. Storm drains fill, overflow
and
flush duck droppings and animal waste as well as fertilizer and other
debris
into the bay. Such was the case with last week's warnings. Sections of
beach
closest to storm drains had the highest readings, said Sarah U'Ren,
project
coordinator for the Watershed Center Grand Traverse, which has the water
at
local beaches tested every Monday.
* Do something to protect yourself and others.
If you're thinking about going swimming after a heavy rainstorm, think
again. Where do you want to go? Know where the storm drains are. Clinch
Park
Beach is not near a storm drain and rarely has a high E. coli count,
U'Ren
said.
* Educate yourself and support public education efforts.
Clean up pet waste and dispose of it in trash bins. Don't discharge boat
and
recreational vehicle sewage into the water or onto the ground where it
can
get in the groundwater. Report those who do. It's illegal for a very
good
reason - your health. The Department of Environmental Quality has a Web
site - www.deq.state.mi.us/beach/public/default.aspx - that lists public
beaches that are monitored by county. It also gives a history of test
results.
Copyright 1998-2007 Traverse City Record-Eagle
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