11 Jersey Shore Beaches Under Swimming Advisories Due To Bacteria Levels

Eleven beaches along the Jersey Shore — including four ocean beaches — are under swimming advisories on Wednesday due to high levels of bacteria, the state Department of Environmental Protection said.

The swimming advisories run from Raritan Bay in Monmouth County to Cape May.

New Jersey beaches are placed under a swimming advisory when the concentration of bacteria exceeds 104 colonies of Enterococci bacteria per 100 milliliters of sample, according to the NJDEP's beaches website, NJBeaches.org.

Any initial sample that exceeds the water quality standard results in swim advisories in the area. Two consecutive samples above the limit result in beach closings.

Sources of enterococci in water include stormwater runoff, sewage discharged or dumped from recreational boats, and domestic animal and wildlife waste. Swimming in polluted water can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sore throat, runny nose, earaches skin rashes and flu-like symptoms.

“Enterococcal infections are caused by Enterococcus bacteria, which are normally found in the human intestine and urinary tract," said Dr. Edward Liu, chief of infectious diseases at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center. "These bacteria can cause infections when they enter other parts of the body, often due to breaches in the body's natural barriers, like skin or bowel."

"Enterococcal infections can cause a range of symptoms depending on where the problem is. If it's in the urinary system you can experience urinary burning and urinary frequency. If enterococcus is in the bloodstream you can have sepsis. If enterococcus is causing colitis or diverticulitis, you may have abdominal pain and diarrhea. Enterococcus can be mildly contagious," Liu said.

It is primarily spread through contact with contaminated surfaces or individuals, as it can survive on surfaces and are often transmitted via hands that have come into contact with feces, urine, or wounds of infected or colonized individuals, he said. Enterococcus does not usually cause skin infections (cellulitis), however, Liu said.

The four ocean beaches under advisories are the Brown Avenue South and York Avenue beaches in Spring Lake and the Ocean Avenue and Brooklyn Avenue beaches in Cape May.

The river and bay beaches under swimming advisories are as follows, listed north to south:

In Monmouth County, the Raritan Bay beach at the Highlands Rec Center in Atlantic Highlands and the L Street Beach on the Shark River in Belmar.

In Ocean County, the Maxson Avenue and River Avenue beaches on the Manasquan River in Point Pleasant and the Hancock Avenue beach on Barnegat Bay in Seaside Heights are under advisories.

In Atlantic County, the New Jersey Avenue beach in Somers Point on Great Egg Harbor Bay is under an advisory.

In Cape May County, the Beesley's Point beach in Upper Township on Great Egg Harbor Bay.

Note: This article has been updated with comments from Dr. Edward Liu of Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center.