What’s in the water? Miami-Dade health officials don’t want you swimming at this beach

After two consecutive beach water samples still found too many units of enterococci — we call it poop — in the waters, the health department has issued a swimming alert for Collins Park at 21st Street in Miami Beach.

The county’s advisory suggests you should not swim at the Collins Park beach until it tests clear and the alert is lifted.

The enterococci bacteria, usually prevalent when there is human or animal feces present, could make you sick, especially people with an increased risk of illness like those who have a weakened immune system, have open or healing wounds, a history of urinary tract infections or who recently had a root canal, cancer treatment or undergoing dialysis or other risk factors, according to Medical News Today.

For more information, visit the Florida Healthy Beaches Program website at www.flhealth.gov and select “Beach Water Quality” from the Environmental Health Topics tab.

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