Stay healthy at the beach: observe water quality announcements and practice good hygiene
Swimming is generally safe in Finland, but even water of good quality can become contaminated. Epidemics caused by stomach bugs can spread at public beaches especially when there are large crowds at the beaches, as has been the case during the recent hot weather.
Water quality can be damaged by factors such as sewage leaks, urban runoff, blue-green algae, and human, or animal-borne faecal microbes and other harmful microbes in the water.
“When crowds gather at beaches in hot weather, the number of people exposed to possible contamination increases”, says Outi Zacheus, Senior Planning Officer at THL.
If a municipal health protection authority suspects that the water at a beach poses a health hazard to swimmers, it can impose a ban on swimming or recommend that people avoid entering the water. In such situations, the beach should be avoided.
Do not swallow water that you swim in, and swim only if you are well
Water can cause gastrointestinal diseases if a swimmer accidentally swallows contaminated water.
A waterborne epidemic can spread at a beach also through unsanitary toilet facilities and poor hand hygiene if microbes that cause diseases reach the mouth through dirty hands.
Both swimmers and those maintaining beaches can take action to prevent epidemics from spreading at beaches.
These are some tips for preventing epidemics from spreading at beaches:
- Do not swallow water when you swim.
- Take care of your own hygiene and use the toilet and washing facilities of the beach area.
- Change a child's nappies somewhere other than the water at the beach - in the toilet facilities, for example.
- Swim only if you are healthy.
- Pay attention to announcements at the beach and follow the instructions.
The proprietor of a beach must keep washing facilities, changing rooms, and toilets clean and maintain adequate supplies of soap, hand towels, toilet paper, and litter bins. The proprietor must also inform visitors about instructions given by municipal health protection authorities and possible restrictions on activities in the water.
Blue-green algae and vibrios increase in hot weather; avoid swimming in the Baltic Sea if your immunity is compromised
Microbes native to the water itself, such as blue-green algae and vibrios, can increase to a harmful degree in hot weather.
Hot weather can lead to an increase in vibrio bacteria in coastal waters this summer as well. Bacteria of the vibrio genus increase in warm salty coastal waters, but not in inland fresh waters.
“Infections caused by Vibrios can be dangerous especially for those with a lowered level of immunity. Such people should avoid swimming in the Baltic Sea during long heat waves especially if they have sores on their skin”, says THL Laboratory Coordinator Anna-Maria Hokajärvi.
Blue-green algae can grow fast in coastal waters as well as inland swimming locations, and the authorities are not always able to make on-the-spot observations or give out information. If you see blue-green algae in the water or on a beach, do not swim there. Also, do not let young children play in beach sand if it contains blue-green algae, or allow pets into the water.
Further information
Map: The risk of vibrio infections (ECDC)
Stay healthy at the beach (in Finnish)
Monitoring algae in surface waters (SYKE) (in Finnish)
Outi Zacheus (general quality of bathing water and bathing water epidemics)
THL
Senior Planning Officer
Tel. +358 29 524 6374
e-mail. [email protected]
Anna-Maria Hokajärvi (blue-green algaes and vibrios)
THL
Laboratory Coordinator
Tel. +358 29 524 7715
e-mail. [email protected]
