Swimming advisory issued in Dare County

DARE COUNTY, N.C. (WAVY) - A swimming advisory was posted on an ocean-side site in Dare County, North Carolina Thursday after state officials detected high levels of bacteria in the water.

The advisory affects an area at the public beach access at E. Sportsman Drive in Kill Devil Hills.

Swimming or playing in waters with bacteria levels higher than the state and Environmental Protection Agency's recreational water quality standards presents an increased risk of developing gastrointestinal illness or skin infections.

The swimming advisory affects water within 200 feet of the sign.

State officials will continue testing the affected site and will remove the the sign once bacteria levels decrease to levels below the samples.

Stay with WAVY News 10 on air and online for updates.

For more information on the N.C. Recreational Water Quality Program, visit http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/recreational-water-quality or https://twitter.com/NCRecPrgm .