Health authorities on California’s Central Coast have closed a local beach after several children became ill due to a suspected E. coli outbreak.
On Tuesday, the Public Health Department of Santa Cruz County announced that Capitola Beach has been closed. Officials said while the source remains under investigation, the cases are linked to likely exposures at the beach.
Nine cases, which all involved children from Santa Cruz County and counties in the San Francisco Bay Area, have been reported to public health officials.
Described as a “potentially serious bacterial infection” E. Coli 0157 can cause abdominal cramps, diarrhea, fatigue, nausea, with little to no fever. Health officials urged anyone with symptoms to contact their healthcare provider.
While the beach is closed, officials urged beachgoers to stay out of the water in posted closure areas, keep children and pets away from the water and not to drink untreated water from creeks, lagoons or other natural waterways.