{"id":578128,"date":"2021-06-30T20:50:33","date_gmt":"2021-07-01T00:50:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=578128"},"modified":"2021-06-30T20:50:34","modified_gmt":"2021-07-01T00:50:34","slug":"fact-check-did-alabama-power-caution-people-against-swimming-in-lewis-smith-lake-due-to-flesh-eating-bacteria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fact-check-did-alabama-power-caution-people-against-swimming-in-lewis-smith-lake-due-to-flesh-eating-bacteria\/","title":{"rendered":"FACT CHECK: Did Alabama Power Caution People Against Swimming In Lewis Smith Lake Due To Flesh-Eating Bacteria?"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">34<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffact-check-did-alabama-power-caution-people-against-swimming-in-lewis-smith-lake-due-to-flesh-eating-bacteria%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=578128&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/2020-03-25T235912Z_23305852_RC2BRF9FDS0P_RTRMADP_3_HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS-AIRLINES-scaled-e1625089531905.jpg\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" \/><\/div>\n<p>An image <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/kayla.scott.forever\/posts\/3059817837676285\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">shared on Facebook<\/a> purportedly shows an Alabama Power press release warning people to avoid swimming in the state\u2019s Lewis Smith Lake because of flesh-eating bacteria.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span>Verdict: False<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The press release is fake. Alabama Power has called the document a \u201cscam.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong><span>Fact Check:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/kayla.scott.forever\/posts\/3059817837676285\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">viral June 28 Facebook post<\/a>, a supposed press release from Alabama Power claims that \u201cNecrotizing Fasciitis (flesh eating bacteria) has significantly increased at Lewis Smith Lake\u201d and that the utility company has \u201casked that all boaters and swimmers stay out of the water for their own safety.\u201d Lewis Smith Lake is a reservoir in Alabama\u2019s Walker, Winston and Cullman counties, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20071222075702\/http:\/\/www.outdooralabama.com\/fishing\/freshwater\/where\/reservoirs\/smith\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDue to these findings we are asking owners and visitors to avoid contact with the water if all possible,\u201d the alleged notice goes on to say. \u201cWater Skiing, swimming and other water activities are highly discouraged and water patrols have been notified to look for boaters and swimmers endangering themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The press release is not genuine. Alabama Power has not published the document on <a href=\"https:\/\/alabamanewscenter.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">its website<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AlabamaPower\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">its<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/alabamapower\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">social media accounts<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.al.com\/birmingham\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">local<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montgomeryadvertiser.com\/search\/?q=necrotizing+fasciitis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">media<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.al.com\/huntsville\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">outlets<\/a> have not reported on high levels of the flesh-eating bacteria being found in Lewis Smith Lake this month.<\/p>\n<p>Rather, Alabama Power <a href=\"https:\/\/alabamanewscenter.com\/2021\/06\/29\/scam-alert-facebook-post-targets-smith-lake-boaters-swimmers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">issued a statement<\/a> June 29 calling it \u201cfake,\u201d as well as clarifying Lewis Smith Lake \u201cand the rest of its lakes around Alabama are open as normal.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" readability=\"9.0345821325648\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Alabama Power says a post circulating Facebook that warns residents to stay out of Smith Lake this summer is a scam. The post warns people who intend to boat or swim in the lake to stay out of the water due to bacteria found in the lake. Learn more. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/K1qBXWcd47\">https:\/\/t.co\/K1qBXWcd47<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/xO391eJ3eD\">pic.twitter.com\/xO391eJ3eD<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 alabamapower (@alabamapower) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/alabamapower\/status\/1409962377307594754?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 29, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The fake press release is signed with the name \u201cAnthony Gotchagain.\u201d Some social media users appear to have not noticed that detail, sharing the document as if it was authentic. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/checkyourfact.com\/2020\/05\/30\/fact-check-italy-coronavirus-bacterium-treated-aspirin-coagulants\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">(RELATED: Viral Post Falsely Claims Coronavirus Is A Bacterium \u2018Easily\u2019 Treated With Aspirin And Coagulants)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Necrotizing fasciitis, a condition caused by flesh-eating bacteria, is rare, but it&nbsp;spreads rapidly and can be fatal, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/groupastrep\/diseases-public\/necrotizing-fasciitis.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a>. The agency emphasizes the importance of \u201caccurate diagnosis, rapid antibiotic treatment, and prompt surgery\u201d in addressing the infection.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An image shared on Facebook purportedly shows an Alabama Power press release warning people to avoid swimming in the state\u2019s Lewis Smith Lake because of flesh-eating bacteria.Verdict: False The press &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2313805,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/2020-03-25T235912Z_23305852_RC2BRF9FDS0P_RTRMADP_3_HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS-AIRLINES-scaled-e1625089531905.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"FACT CHECK: Did Alabama Power Caution People Against Swimming In Lewis Smith Lake Due To Flesh-Eating Bacteria?","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-578128","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/2020-03-25T235912Z_23305852_RC2BRF9FDS0P_RTRMADP_3_HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS-AIRLINES-scaled-e1625089531905.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"FACT CHECK: Did Alabama Power Caution People Against Swimming In Lewis Smith Lake Due To Flesh-Eating Bacteria?","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/578128","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=578128"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/578128\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2313805"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=578128"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=578128"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=578128"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}