by Daniel Duric, for the Newport Dispatch

WESTMORE — North Beach at Lake Willoughby has been closed to swimming after recent testing found elevated E. coli levels, the town of Westmore announced Saturday.

The beach will remain closed until further notice. Town officials noted that even after skies clear, runoff creates conditions favorable for E. coli bacteria and harmful cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae.

E. coli bacteria are found in the intestines of warm-blooded animals and are used as an indicator that fecal contamination may be present in water. High E. coli levels can occur for several reasons, but large rainstorms commonly wash animal waste into the water, carrying pathogens with it.

Children, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems are considered most vulnerable to illness from swimming in contaminated water.

Common symptoms of ingesting a harmful strain of E. coli include vomiting and diarrhea, though most cases are mild. The CDC advises beachgoers to heed closures and stay out of closed bodies of water.

Beaches typically reopen after follow-up testing confirms bacteria levels have returned to acceptable ranges.