INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Heath department officials issued an alert this week after finding blue-green algal bloom toxins at the Stick Marsh fishing lake in north county.
Health officials found the presence of microcystin at 2.38 micrograms per liter at the lake, a news release shows. The lake is located west of County Road 507 and southwest of Fellsmere Grade Road.
Blue-green algae produce and release microcystin. Cyanobacteria can produce microcystins in large amounts during algal blooms and become a threat to drinking and irrigation water supplies and the environment.
Blue-green algae can grow in many bodies of water in Florida. The algae can grow rapidly and sometimes form a foamy surface scum and unpleasant odor, officials said.
The algae is life-threatening to fish because it removes the oxygen from the water, authorities said. Pets and livestock should get their water from elsewhere.
Residents should not swallow, swim, wade, water ski or boat in areas where there are algae blooms, officials said. Humans affected by the blooms can experience ear, eye and skin reactions, hay fever, and flu-like symptoms like diarrhea.
Residents who have come into contact with blooms or discolored or smelly water should wash their skin and clothing with soap and water, health officials said. Residents should also refrain from cooking or cleaning dishes with water contaminated by algae blooms.
“Boiling the water will not eliminate the toxins,” health officials said.
Health officials recommend residents to not harvest fish from areas near or in the algal bloom.
