Georgia Coastal Health District

The Glynn County Health Department, in conjunction with the Jekyll Island Authority and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR), announced today that St. Andrews Beach (from Macy Lane to the St. Andrews Beach picnic area) and Clam Creek Beach (from Clam Creek to beach kilometer marker 1) on Jekyll Island will be placed under permanent advisory due to continually elevated bacteria levels. No other beaches on the island are affected by the advisory.

The DNR will also begin monitoring the water at Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island once a week year-round. Driftwood Beach is located on the north end of the island. The three agencies agree that implementing the changes is in the best interest of all who use the St. Andrews, Clam Creek, and Driftwood Beach areas for recreation.

A permanent advisory indicates that there is a continual potential human health risk and therefore swimming and wading are advised against. In addition, fish and other seafood caught from this area should be thoroughly washed with fresh water and thoroughly cooked before eating as should fish or seafood caught from any waters.

In accordance with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidance, a permanent advisory can be issued “under conditions such as naturally occurring organisms that are present in the water or human influences that cause a continuous or reoccurring water quality standard exceedance.”

Georgia’s beach water monitoring program is part of the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) federal Clean Water Act. As part of the program, water along the Georgia coast is tested regularly for the presence of enterococci bacteria. If bacteria levels are elevated in any particular area, an advisory is issued by the local health department and the public is notified of possible risks associated with the bacteria. Elevated levels of bacteria can come from any number of sources including animal waste, storm water runoff, or boating waste.

For more information on beach water advisories, go click HERE or go to coastalgadnr.org.

The Glynn County Health Department recently received two generous donations from The Literary Guild of St. Simons Island and Walmart to support the Reach Out and Read program. Reach Out and Read is an initiative aimed at promoting literacy by educating parents about the importance of reading to young children and giving books to children to inspire them to take an active interest in reading.

The Literary Guild of St. Simons Island donated $2,000 and the Walmart Neighborhood Market in Brunswick donated $1,000 which will help purchase books for Reach Out and Read. Glynn County Health Department Administrator, Karen Mikell, R.N., said the donations will prove invaluable.

“These unexpected gifts will help us buy books for the children who come into our health department for other services,” said Mikell. “The Reach Out and Read program is a wonderful way to try to instill a love of reading at an early age and show parents how important it is to encourage their children to read.”

The Literary Guild of St. Simons regularly supports the local library and also funds other projects, such as Reach Out and Read, in an effort to support literacy.

“We believe that the entire community benefits when individuals’ literacy skills are strengthened,” said President of the Literary Guild of St. Simons, Paul Pieschel.

[JPG, 148.25 KB] Vicki Skywark, Vice President of The Literary Guild of St. Simons Island, (left) presents a check for $2,000 to Glynn County Health Department Administrator, Karen Mikell, R.N., to support the Reach Out and Read program.

A Glynn County resident was exposed to a fox that showed signs associated with rabies. Although the fox could not be tested for rabies because of damage to the its body after being hit by a car, the fox is presumed to have had the disease. As a result, Glynn County Health Department environmental health officials are encouraging residents to be aware of unusual behavior in wildlife and avoid contact with wildlife.

Symptoms of rabies in animals include a change in behavior, biting, aggression, showing no fear of natural enemies (such as humans), foaming at the mouth, and paralysis. Rabies is a potentially deadly virus that is primarily spread by infected animals. Residents should always avoid contact with wild or stray animals, watch for unusual behavior in pets and wildlife, and get pets vaccinated against rabies. Leaving food outdoors for family pets or undomesticated animals can attract potentially rabid wildlife.

The Glynn County Health Department offers these tips to protect you and your family from rabies:

Avoid contact with animals you don’t know.
Make sure your pets receive the proper immunizations. Dogs and cats should get rabies vaccines by four months of age, followed by a booster shot one year later, and another one every one or three years depending on the type of vaccine used.
Do not handle, feed, or unintentionally attract wild animals with open garbage cans or by leaving pet food out at night.
Never adopt wild animals or bring them into your home. Do not try to nurse sick animals to health. Call animal control or a properly licensed animal rescue agency for assistance.
Teach children to never handle unfamiliar animals, wild or domestic, even if they appear friendly. “Love your own, leave other animals alone” is a good principle for children to learn.
If an animal ever bites you, seek medical care immediately and contact Glynn County Animal Control at 912-554-7500 and the Glynn County Health Department Environmental Health Division at 912-279-2940.