CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — The video above is from a previous story.
The Florida Department of Health has issued a Caution for the presence of harmful blue-green algal toxins in Clay County. This is in response to a water sample taken on June 23.
Please be cautious in and around Swimming Pen Creek, Whitey’s Fish Camp and 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.
To report a bloom to Florida Department of Environmental Protection, call the toll-free hotline at (855) 305-3903 or report online.
To report fish kills, contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute at 1-800-636-0511.
Report symptoms from exposure to a harmful algal bloom or any aquatic toxin to the Florida Poison Information Center. Call 1-800-222-1222 to speak to a poison specialist immediately.
Contact your veterinarian if you believe your pet has become ill after consuming or having contact with blue-green algae-contaminated water.
If you have other health questions or concerns about blue-green algae blooms, please call the Florida Department of Health in Clay County at (904) 529-2800.