On Saturday, June 10th, the Coronado Democratic Club and members of the community that attended the meeting in the Winn Room heard a very timely presentation by Romina Scheiss, Supervising Environmental Health Specialist for San Diego County’s Beach and Bay Water Quality Program.
Scheiss spoke about the health issues that might result from ignoring the beach closed signs and going into the water. She explained that the risks vary widely due to the numerous bacterial, viral, and parasitical material found in the water from many sources, including, but not limited to, the Tijuana River sewage.
A partial list of the diseases and infections one might end up with after entering the water include: gastroenteritis, typhoid fever, respiratory infections, parasite infestations, giardia, meningitis, encephalitis, myocarditis, foot and mouth disease, pink eye, and swimmer’s ear. She also made it clear some of these risks exist even if you do not enter the water since some particulates can be found in the sand and/or in the air.
For more information go to San Diego County’s Beach & Bay Water Quality Site at SDBeachInfo.com.