People along the Mississippi coastline are being warned not to swim or eat seafood.
USA Today reports that the warning is in response to an outbreak of toxic bacteria known as cyanobacterium.
Residents have been advised to avoid water that has a greenish-blue hue, which is said to cause rashes, diarrhea and vomiting.
Officials closed nine beaches in two of the state’s three coastal counties.
People also shouldn’t allow their pets near that area.
As toxic bacteria grow in Gulf waters, so does the list of beach closures. We have the latest from @MDEQ, and we wade into the debate over vaping on Mississippi Edition – online and on demand at https://t.co/jUVoRBKPkZ pic.twitter.com/PbzwZKPl0O
— MPB News (@MPBNews) June 28, 2019
A spokesman from the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources says the cause is fresh water entering the Mississippi Sound from the New Orleans spillway, USA Today reported.
That system has been open for a historically long time to relieve pressure on levees from the flooded Mississippi River.
The fresh water influx is creating a dead zone without oxygen where marine life can’t survive, according to USA Today.
