OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – The Florida Department of Health in Osceola County has issued a Health Alert for the presence of harmful blue-green algal toxins in Lake Marian, south of the boat ramp.
This is in response to a water sample taken on Wednesday, June 1. The public should exercise caution in and around Lake Marian.
Recommended Videos
[TRENDING: Heavy rain hits Florida, flooding strands Miami vehicles | Cocoa man riding bicycle dies after hit-and-run crash sends him into the Indian River, FHP says | Become a News 6 Insider (it’s free!)]
Blue-green algae are a type of bacteria that is common in Florida’s freshwater environments. A bloom occurs when rapid growth of algae leads to an accumulation of individual cells that discolor water and often produce floating mats that emit unpleasant odors.
Blue-green algae blooms can impact human health and ecosystems, including fish and other aquatic animals.
Residents and visitors are advised to take the following precautions:
- Do not drink, swim, wade, 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.