Creatures of the deep: SouthFlorida.com

Digging holes in the sand may be fun, but take precautions to avoid bacterial infection.

The most dangerous critters at the beach are not big, and they don't have fins. They're the ones much too small for us to see. They abound not only in the water but throughout the sand. They're bacteria, and according to a couple recent studies, they're a threat to anyone who walks, eats or plays in the sand.

University of Miami researcher Dr. Lisa Plano recently discovered the bacteria Stephylococcus aureus in South Florida beach water and sand. Three percent of the bacteria were the antibiotic-resistant type, called MRSA.
They're spread in the water and sand by bathers carrying the bacteria on their skin. Unless you have your own island, your favorite beach is almost sure to have staph.

"Close to 40 percent of people have staph on their skin or in their nose," Plano said. "It doesn't bother them. It doesn't infect them. It just lies on them."

When they go to the beach, the bacteria come off in the water and sand. Most of us who pick it up also will carry it around without any sign of infection. We risk infection when the bacteria comes in contact with an open wound.

Yet another beach threat in the news is fecal bacteria. When ingested, these bacteria can cause vomiting, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms. Surprisingly, fecal bacteria in beach sand doesn't always come from sewage spills. Studies suggest much of it comes from feces left by birds, dogs, raccoons and other animals that romp on the beach. Researchers in North Carolina reported that digging in beach sand raises people's risk of diarrhea by 20 percent. Getting buried in sand boosts the risk by 23 percent. Young children may face the greatest risk because they're most likely to get sand in their mouths.

"There's a striking difference between adults and kids in the percent who get sand in their mouths," said researcher Chris Heaney of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "Kids also are much more likely to be buried in the sand."

So should we keep the kids away from the beach until they're old enough to drink? No way, Plano and Heaney agree.

"Our findings should not discourage people from visiting the beach," Heaney said.

But, both researchers added, parents should take precautions to protect their youngsters from infection.

The first is to avoid any beach known to have dangerously high levels of bacteria. You can check bacterial levels by visiting the Florida Healthy Beaches Program Web site at http://esetappsdoh.doh.state.fl.us/irm00beachwater/default.aspx. The site rates the bacterial levels found in water samples from beaches all along the Florida coast. You also can check state reports by calling 850-245-4240.

If your child has an open cut or scrape, be sure to cover it with a waterproof adhesive bandage before hitting the beach. This prevents harmful bacteria from entering the wound.

Try to keep children playing in the sand from putting their hands in their mouths. Be sure they wash their hands with soap before eating at the beach. When it's time to go home, shower them off with soap.

"We don't want to scare people," Plano said. "Just use common sense."