PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla — The Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County issued a health alert on Wednesday after finding harmful blue-green algal toxins in Lake Seminole.
Results from a water sample taken near the boat ramp on April 20 detected the toxins.
The county recommends the public exercise caution in and around Lake Seminole. Warning signs will be posted at the boat ramp to alert park visitors.
Residents and visitors are advised to take the following precautions:
- Do not drink, swim, wade or use personal watercraft, water ski or boat in waters where there is a visible bloom.
- Wash your skin and clothing with soap and water if you have contact with algae or discolored or smelly water.
- Keep pets away from the area. Waters, where there are algae blooms, are not safe for animals. Pets and livestock should have a different source of water when algae blooms are present.
- Do not cook or clean dishes with water contaminated by algae blooms. Boiling the water will not eliminate the toxins.
- Eating fillets from healthy fish caught in freshwater lakes experiencing blooms is safe. Rinse fish fillets with tap or bottled water, throw out the guts and cook fish well.
- Do not eat shellfish in waters with algae blooms.
Blue-green algae is a common type of bacteria found in Florida's freshwater environments, and the bloom happens when the rapid growth of algae transitions to a collection of cells that change the color of the water and often produce floating mats that create unpleasant odors, the FDOH said in a previous news release.
Below are agencies to contact if you or someone else comes across blue-green algae and if an animal gets contaminated.
- To report a bloom to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, call 855-305-3903
- To report fish kills, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute at 1-800-636-0511
- If you are experiencing symptoms from exposure to a harmful algal bloom or any aquatic toxin, contact the Florida Poison Information Center at 1-800-222-1222 and speak with a poison specialist immediately
- If your pet has become ill after being contaminated or has consumed blue-green algae water, contact your veterinarian immediately.
- For any health questions or concerns about blue-green algae blooms, call the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County at (727) 507-4336.
To learn more about the potential health effects of algal blooms, click here.
