Does the beach kill or heal diseases?
Infectious disease transmission
in terrestrial beach habitats can occur through direct contact with
microorganisms in the sand or by the transfer of germs from water to sand in
the swash or intertidal zone. Pathogens can be transmitted by a variety of
methods, including cutaneous contact, contact with the eyes and ears,
inhalation, and ingestion. Recent research suggests that direct contact with
beach sands might increase the risk of infectious illness, especially in
youngsters.
Several investigations
have documented the presence of harmful bacteria in beach sands, indicating
that sand might serve as a possible reservoir for disease aetiological agents.
Bacteria, viruses, protozoa, helminths (worms), and fungus are just a few of
the dangerous species found in sand. Pathogenic bacteria found in beach sands,
for example, include Vibrio vulnificus Campylobacter, Pseudomonas aeruginosa,
and Staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-resistant forms. By culture,
enterovirus has been discovered in the sand.
Antibiotic resistance
was higher in sand-dwelling Vibrio species than in seawater-dwelling
Vibrio-like bacteria, with more than 90% of planktonic and benthic Vibrio-like
bacteria showing multiple antibiotic resistance. Multidrug-resistant
Enterococcus faecium from beach sand was also discovered, exhibiting
characteristics comparable to those found in clinical human isolates.
Beaches are places
where people go to relax. Beach sand, on the other hand, includes dangerous
bacteria that are hazardous to human health, and there are no established
procedures for detecting and diagnosing beach-borne diseases or monitoring
beach sand quality.
Ocean water can be
regarded as antiseptic, meaning it may have wound-healing effects because
beaches are rich in other mineral salts such as sodium and iodine.
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