Adriatic Waters Pose No Danger, Swimmers Told

Bathing in the slime-covered waters along Italy’s Adriatic coast poses no health risk, a government advisory body announced Friday after tests on the algae that has scared off thousands of tourists.

“The sea is dirty but it is not dangerous,” said Alessandro Beretta Anguissola, president of the Superior Health Council.

The floating algae appeared along the coast two weeks ago, and hotel operators in the Friuli, Veneto, Emilia Romagna and Marche regions said tourists are canceling reservations.

Anguissola said the algae--apparently unrelated to pollution--results from warm water and lack of currents that have allowed the organisms to flourish. When too much algae is created, it rots and tiny gas bubbles carry the slime to the surface.