MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — The Florida Department of Health in Martin County has issued a health alert after the presence of blue-green algae in the waters near Port Mayaca in Indiantown.
The alert was issued after water samples taken by the Department of Environmental Protection on Nov. 13.
Health officials are advising residents and visitors 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 the fish to proper temperature.
- Do not eat shellfish in waters with algae blooms.
To see sample results and report an algal bloom, click here.