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Red flag raised to stop swimmers going in the water at Villas Caravaning beach after E. coli detected
The closure is motivated by the results of a water sample taken on July 14 indicating the presence of unhealthy levels of bacteria
The red flag which denotes that going in the water is prohibited on a beach is flying this Wednesday July 16 on the Mar Menor-facing Villas Caravaning beach in Cartagena, according to the local City Council.
“At the request of the Environmental Health Service of the Directorate General of Public Health and Addictions of the Regional Ministry of Health of the Region of Murcia, the Civil Protection Service of the City of Cartagena has closed the Villas Caravaning beach to bathing by placing a red flag and marking the area with buoys,” the Council said in a statement.
“The closure is due to the results of the water samples taken on July which indicate the presence of Escherichia coli at a value of 500cfu/100mL, which exceeds those permitted for bathing.”
They say they have sent “technicians” to the area to locate the possible source of the E. coli outbreak “in order to rectify the deficiency and reopen the beach when normal health values are restored”.
E. coli is a type of bacteria, of which a few strains can cause serious illnesses. It is often spread in faeces. About 5-10% of people infected with E. coli develop a life-threatening condition called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), with young children under the age of 5 and adults over age 65 being most at risk.
The red flag warning comes after many of the common, shared facilities at the Villas Caravaning tourist campsite were shut down due to safety concerns and a lack of a licence to operate. Campsite owners and neighbourhood associations continue to protest their cause to the City Council to have the facilities reopened as the closures are affecting their livelihood and quality of life, though the Council argues it is a question of protecting public health and safety above all.
Just 10 days earlier, swimming was banned on another beach in the Port of Mazarrón due to the discovery of abnormally high levels of human faeces in the water.
Image: Ayuntamiento de Cartagena
