Abstract
Swimming in contaminated ocean waters continues to be a rising health concern, especially in beaches where the source of pollution is not known. The purpose of this study was to determine the microbial water quality of a subtropical beach in Miami-Dade in order to gain insight on the health risk to bathers. Water and sand samples were concentrated and analyzed for fecal indicator microbes (fecal coliform, E. coli, enterococci, C. perfringens, coliphage, Bacteriodes, polyomavirus) and for pathogens (Vibrio vulnificus, S. aureus, , enterovirus, norovirus, hepatitis A virus, Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia lamblia). Indicator bacteria results were generally below the health standard while pathogens testing positive included Vibrio vulnificus in the sand and water as well as norovirus in two water samples. Giardia lamblia was detected in two water samples at 11 and 51 cysts per liter while Cryptosporidium parvum was detected in two sand samples at 12 and 5 oocysts per 100 grams. Risk associated with the pathogens and the efficiency of using indicator microbes to determine the safety of recreational waters should be evaluated given these findings.