(Palm Beach Post file photo by Jeffrey Langlois)

DELRAY BEACH A spike in bacterial levels at Delray beaches prompted the city to prohibit swimming until further notice, according to a city advisory issued Wednesday.

Recent sampling of the waters off the beaches by the Florida Department of Health detected higher-than-usual levels of a bacteria that increases risk of infectious disease.

As a precaution, swimming in the municipal beaches is prohibited until further notice, the advisory reads.

Additional samples will be taken to determine when the beaches can reopen.

Causes of the elevated bacterial level are unknown, but are generally associated with wildlife, heavy recreational usage, high surf and tides or runoff following heavy rains, according to city officials.

Double-red flags are raised at Delrays beaches to indicate swimming is banned.

When the advisory is lifted, the double-red flags will be taken down, city officials said.

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