Sunday, July 30, 2006

Jellyfish Invade Southern NC Beaches

Jellyfish have always been occasional visitors to North Carolina's coast but increasing numbers of the pests over the past few weeks have become a hazard to southern NC beach goers. Sea Nettles and other jellyfish have stung so many people in the Wrightsville Beach and Carolina Beach area that the New Hanover County Health Department issued an alert on Friday. In fact, over 75 people were treated between Monday and Thursday of last week and one swimmer was treated for a suspected Portuguese man-of-war sting. Red flags now dot the beaches in Carolina Beach warning swimmers of the threat. Experts have offered numerous possible reasons for the record numbers of jellyfish ranging from salinity and temperature to tropical weather patterns. More on the jellyfish invasion is available from the Wilmington Star; sting information and treatment tips are available from eMedicineHealth.com.

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