Australia's Gold Coast needs to clean up their act.
Although officials say they don't yet know the specific source, a popular swimming spot in Australia had to temporarily shut down due to a bacterial outbreak – otherwise known as a poo poo problem. The Gold Coast's natural swimming spot, Currumbin Rock Pools, is loaded with Enterococci, "a very common bowel microorganism.
From The Guardian:
The hunt is on to find the source of a faeces-related bacterial outbreak that has indefinitely closed a popular swimming hole in the Gold Coast hinterland.
Dr Yaoqin Hong from the Queensland University of Technology's Centre for Immunology and Infection Control said the enterococcus was "a very common bowel microorganism" and that the source of the outbreak did not have to be human. …
"The contamination source … [usually] comes from someone who had an accident in the pool," he said. "But the source can come from anywhere." …
Enterococci could cause urinary tract infections and other afflictions, but didn't normally pose a serious health threat. …
Social media is awash with other theories, with some pointing the finger at runoff from septic tanks and others concerned about a canine connection.
But the Gold Coast fecal fiasco goes way beyond the bacteria at the Pools, with doggie doo being a huge problem on Australian beaches dating back to at at least 2021, due to lack of responsibility of both dog owners and city officials.
From Yahoo! last week:
Paula and Chris thought they were swapping busy Brisbane life for an idyllic seaside lifestyle when they relocated to the Gold Coast in October.
But for the last four months they've been hit with a daily problem that's left a stench up their noses.
"I am disgusted at the excessive amount of dog poo and full dog poo bags left on our beaches and walkways in Bilinga," Chris told Yahoo News Australia.
"This is paradise here, it's absolutely beautiful and they're just crapping all over it," Paula added. …
"They promote the Gold Coast as pristine and they want tourism, but if you have to dodge dog poo to get onto the beach, it's pretty disgusting," Paula said.
