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Leave the water and avoid further exposure. If a harmful algal bloom may be involved, rinse your skin promptly with tap water. If coastal water touched an open wound, wash it thoroughly with soap and clean running water. Watch for symptoms and contact a healthcare provider if you become ill after swimming.
What to do right after swimming
- Get out of the water. Do not continue swimming or let others enter a beach that is posted closed or appears to have a harmful algal bloom.
- Rinse promptly if an algal bloom is possible. CDC advises rinsing with tap water right away after touching or entering water that may contain a harmful algal bloom.
- Wash any exposed wound. If coastal water contacted a cut, scrape, surgical site, piercing, or tattoo, wash it thoroughly with soap and clean running water.
- Check local notices. Look for current beach advisories or closures from the beach manager, local health department, or state. Conditions can change quickly, and CDC particularly advises checking status after heavy rainfall.
- Monitor how you feel. If you develop an illness after swimming, contact a healthcare provider and explain the exposure.
For a person who swallowed water but feels well, the cited public-health guidance does not prescribe a special treatment. Swallowing contaminated water can cause illness, but it does not mean illness is certain. Do not start antibiotics or other preventive medication on your own.
How the type of exposure changes what to do
| Exposure | Recommended response |
|---|---|
| Possible harmful algal bloom on skin | Rinse promptly with tap water, following CDC guidance. |
| Coastal or brackish water in an open wound | Wash thoroughly with soap and clean running water. If infection symptoms develop, tell the healthcare professional that the wound contacted coastal or brackish water. |
| Swallowed water, with no symptoms | Monitor for illness; the cited guidance does not call for a special treatment when a person has no symptoms. |
| Illness after swimming | Contact a healthcare provider. If you suspect illness related to a harmful algal bloom, CDC also advises contacting a Poison Center; in the United States, call 1-800-222-1222. |
What symptoms to watch for
Symptoms depend on the contaminant and how it entered the body. Swimming-related illness can include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, stomachache, fever, headache, skin rash, swimmer’s ear, eye irritation, sore throat, cough, or other flu-like or respiratory symptoms. Polluted water can also be associated with skin, ear, eye, nose, throat, and wound infections. Harmful algal bloom toxins may cause irritation or gastrointestinal symptoms; in some cases, exposure can damage the kidneys or liver.
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When to take extra care
CDC identifies children, pregnant people, and people with weakened immune systems as groups at increased risk for swimming-related illness. People with weakened immune systems should discuss recreational-water exposure with their healthcare provider. For coastal water that contacts an open wound, people with underlying conditions—especially liver disease—should be particularly attentive and mention those conditions when seeking care.
How beach water becomes unsafe
Natural water can contain germs. Human or animal waste can reach beaches through polluted runoff, particularly after rain, or through sewage releases. Swallowing contaminated water can expose you to germs, while an open wound can provide another route of infection. EPA says people are less likely to be exposed to waterborne pathogens if they wade or swim without putting their head under water.
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Warning signs can include a bad odor, unusual cloudiness or discoloration, foam, scum, algae mats, paint-like streaks, or dead fish. Drainage pipes, heavy rain, and a posted advisory or closure are also reasons to stay out. A harmful algal bloom may produce toxins, and CDC cautions that toxins can sometimes be present even when a bloom is not visible; appearance alone cannot establish that water is safe.
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This guidance reflects CDC’s How to Safely Visit Oceans, Lakes, and Rivers (May 15, 2024), Preventing Swimming-related Illnesses (June 6, 2025), Preventing Vibrio Infection (July 7, 2025), and Preventing Illnesses Caused by Harmful Algal Blooms (page dates March 22, 2024 and July 29, 2025), as well as U.S. EPA guidance on beach pollution and health effects. Beach conditions and advisories are local and may change quickly; follow current public-health instructions and seek individual medical advice for symptoms or personal risk.
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