FORT MYERS, Fla. — Lee County’s Department of Health has issued a health alert for the presence of blue-green algal toxins in Orange River – Manatee Park.
The alert is in response to a water sample that was taken on June 24, and the Department of Health encourages everyone to exercise caution in and around Orange River – Manatee Park.
It is 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 and/or smelly water.
- Keep pets away from the area as water with present 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.
For more information, visit the Florida’s Department of Health’s website.
