Windsurfers who fall more often get sick more often. That's the word from Joan Rose, a microbiologist with the University of South Florida Department of Marine Science. Rose, who studies contamination of shoreline water, says a disturbing number of pathogenic viruses appear in those waters, causing infections of the skin, eye, ear and stomach. Most illnesses are transitory, but in a small percentage of cases, damage to the heart, liver or other organ causes long- term disease. Coastal populations are soaring.
Beaches are a favorite vacation destination.
And shellfish is popular food. Adding it up, scientists warn about more disease from water- borne viruses. Because those poor oysters or clams resting on the ocean floor make a living by patiently extracting nutrients from seawater. That filtering mechanism makes shellfish beds targets for invading toxins and viruses, and excellent indicators of water pollution. It also makes them questionable food.