Swimming is not recommended at two Windsor-Essex beaches: WECHU
Swimming is not recommended at the following beaches as E.coli counts are 200 or higher:
Cedar Beach
Holiday Beach
Lakeshore Lakeview Park West Beach, Point Pelee Northwest Beach, Seacliff Park Beach, Cedar Island Beach, Cedar Beach, and Colchester Beach are all open for swimming.
Sandpoint Beach is closed to swimming while the city reviews next steps for the area.
The Health Unit monitors beach water quality at public beaches once a week on Wednesdays, from May to August to test for bacteria (E.coli) levels to determine if the water is safe for swimming.
Water samples are sent to the public health lab in London, Ontario for E. coli bacteria count analysis. This season's sampling results are posted on wechu.org, and available by calling the beach hotline at 519-258-2146, extension 1490.
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In Canada, the disease was known but rare in B.C., with an incidence of one case per 500,000 people in 2019. WATCH | Tick-borne illnesses are on the rise. Here's what to look out for: Tick-borne illnesses are on the rise. Here's what to look out for 1 month ago Dr. Samir Gupta, a Toronto-based respirologist, is warning of an increase in tick bites and tick-borne illnesses across Canada. Ticks are parasites that feed on the blood of wild animals and are known to transmit bacteria through bites. There have been occasional cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever reported in other parts of the country. A 73-year-old woman was diagnosed with the disease in 2023 after travelling from Saskatchewan to Ontario, and being in contact with her son's two dogs in Ottawa. The Ottawa doctors who saw the case said the disease's expansion north into areas where it hadn't been seen before was likely linked to milder winters and hotter, drier summers linked to climate change, which allow ticks to expand their range. Earlier this year, a cluster of cases in dogs was linked to Long Point Provincial Park on Lake Erie in Ontario. Weese said such a large group in a small area was a surprise. "That would suggest that this is quite well-established, at least in some areas." This week, Dr. Alex Carignan, a microbiologist and infectious disease specialist with the regional health authority in Estrie, Que., reported a "recent" case in the province's Eastern Townships. Weese noted the Quebec case also seems to have been locally acquired, raising questions about how far the disease has spread in Canada. Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease specialist based at Toronto General Hospital, said the Ontario dog infections and the detection of Rickettsia bacteria in ticks north of the border had shown that the disease was already in Canada. "The real question is how much of it is here and what's the geographic distribution." He added that other tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and babesiosis have spread more widely over recent years as shorter, warmer winters allow tick populations to push north. What should people do to protect themselves and their pets? Both Bogoch and Weese recommend people take precautions to avoid being bitten by ticks. This can include staying on trails and away from places such as long grass and leaf litter; wearing long sleeves, long pants and insect repellent when possible while in areas where ticks might be; checking for ticks on themselves and their dogs after visiting such areas; and removing ticks promptly if found. Weese said people with dogs are at higher risk because they're more likely to walk in areas with higher risk of tick exposure and because dogs can sometimes bring ticks into homes in their fur. Giving dogs oral or topical tick preventive medications can greatly reduce the risk of exposure, Weese said. However, it doesn't replace other measures, and may not be as effective with Rocky Mountain spotted fever as it is with Lyme disease, since the former is transmitted more quickly. Bogoch said health-care workers should be aware there are tick-transmitted diseases beyond Lyme that they should look out for, so that suspected cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever can be treated immediately. Weese recommended that if people or their pets fall ill after visiting wooded or grassy areas that might have ticks or Rocky Mountain spotted fever, they should mention the possible exposure to their doctor or vet to ensure prompt diagnosis and treatment. He also noted that while people should be aware of these diseases, they're still rare in Canada.
