Swimmers warned to avoid beaches after disgusting discovery in water

Swimmers are being warned to avoid several beaches on the East Coast after a disgusting discovery in the water was made by officials.

Several beaches in Maine - including Portland, Kennebunk, Camden, Ogunquit, Kennebunkport and Rockport - were identified as having high levels of bacteria yesterday (Friday, June 29), according to the News Center Maine .

While conducting routine testing, members of the Maine Healthy Beaches program found alarming levels of enterococci bacteria - a microorganism which suggests a possible contamination of fecal waste.

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Speaking to the local news outlet, Meagan Sims, coordinator at the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, said signs are often placed around the beaches to make beachgoers aware if an advisory has been shared.

Sims said: "Our protocol when we have elevated bacteria is to always make every effort to, what we call re-sample, that location."

Enterococcus can cause severe health problems including blood infections, UTIs and endocarditis which is an infection in the lining of heart valves. The bacteria enter the body when contaminated water is drunk or when coming into contact with an open wound, which can lead to abscesses.

While UTIs can affect the bladder, urethra, and kidneys, enterococcus can also cause bacteremia - a type of bloodstream infection - as well as meningitis and gum infections. Antibiotics are commonly used to treat the infections.

However, several strains have now become resistant to the medications, which makes it extra challenging to treat them effectively. Maine officials also want to make beachgoers aware of other beach safety hazards.

Old Orchard Beach lifeguards had to rescue several people from rip currents, while erosion caused by storms during the off-season has also brought a new danger.

Old Orchard Beach Fire Chief John Gilboy told WMTW : "It's going to be a challenging summer for our public safety.

"The storms this past winter really really altered the beach and that is damaging a lot of the dunes. It's changed the ground of the ocean so that now we have sand bars in places that we didn't have, and now we have rip currents in places that we didn't have."

It is understood at least five feet of sand have washed away from under the pier, exposing pipes, debris and rocks. Earlier this week, several beaches in San Diego also had to be closed down due to sewage leading to high levels of bacteria.

This includes Imperial Beach shorelines and the Tijuana Slough Shoreline, along the US-Mexico border.