JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — (The story above is from a previous report)
The Florida Department of Health in Clay County is warning people to be cautious in and around Swimming Pen Creek near Whitey’s Fish Camp.
The department issued a health alert for the presence of harmful blue-green algal toxins in the water as a result of a water sample taken on June 9.
Officials are recommending that the public 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 the 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) 278-3784.