(ETH) – Bacterial infections are plaguing beaches across the U.S. and have shut down beaches in New York, Ohio, New Jersey, Washington state, and Massachusetts according to Fox News.

A recent report from Environment Massachusetts found that, of 556 Massachusetts beaches, 264 had been unsafe for swimming at least one-day last year. However, toxic bacteria – including the flesh-eating kind – keeping swimmers out of the water is nothing new. Contaminations have shuttered beaches for decades and The Weather Channel reported Saturday that summer weather and rainfall can lower salinity in bodies of water and make them more hospitable to bacteria.

Pollution, climate change, and other factors can alter the water around U.S. beaches. At least 14 beaches in Michigan alone have been closed according to Michigan Live. The beaches are closed or under contamination advisories for high bacteria levels. The notifications are made as part of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy’s Beach Guard system. Each beach’s status is subject to change as new test results come in.


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To see an up-to-date map of the red-flagged beaches and details on the water quality tests, check the Beach Guard website here. The Beach Guard site gives the public information on beach water quality across the state. It includes water sampling results and daily updates on which beaches are under advisories or have been closed. The data covers 1,224 public beaches and 575 private ones.