Warm coastal waters with low salinity are raising the risk of water-borne infections across Europe this summer, prompting the ECDC to update an interactive map of higher-risk areas.
Rising water temperatures, environmental change and heavier summer travel are helping bacteria such as Vibrio spread more widely, especially in estuaries, river mouths and shellfish including oysters.
People with open wounds, recent piercings, weakened immune systems or chronic liver disease face the highest danger; the agency advises avoiding water exposure, using waterproof dressings and washing cuts with fresh water.
The ECDC also urged people to avoid raw or undercooked shellfish, noting that warming linked to climate change is expanding favorable conditions beyond hotspots such as the Baltic Sea and some estuaries.
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