HAMPTON, Va. – Swimming advisories were issued for two sections of Buckroe Beach in Hampton, the Virginia Department of Health announced Wednesday.
The bacteria results at Buckroe South and Buckroe Mid Beaches were said to exceed safe levels.
On Thursday, the department announced the advisory for Buckroe Mid Beach has been lifted.
The advisory is still in effect for Buckroe South Beach.
Signs are posted at the beach alerting the public of the advisory.
Recreational waters are monitored for bacteria routinely during the summer swimming season, using indicator organisms such as enterococci, the indicator of choice for estuarine and marine waters.
Enterococci are a group of organisms used to determine the extent of fecal contamination of recreational waters. While these organisms do not cause illness, scientific studies indicate that their presence is closely correlated to the presence of other disease-causing organisms. People swimming or playing in waters with bacteria levels higher than the standard have an increased risk of developing gastrointestinal illness.
