People are being instructed to keep away from swimming within the algae, however what’s it and the way involved ought to Australians be concerning the well being dangers the smelly blooms pose?
Here’s every part it’s essential know.
What is blue-green algae?
Blue-green algae is a cyanobacteria widespread across the Australian coast. It thrives in hotter circumstances.
Tweed Council’s environmental well being supervisor Marcela Lopez stated folks ought to keep away from swimming and browsing anyplace close to an algal bloom.
“It is often mistaken for oil or slimy effluent slicks on beaches and in rivers where it has been blown on-shore by winds and tide,” she stated.
“While Trichodesmium is a blue-green algae, it can come in a lot of other interesting colours including orange, grey, brown, green and purple.
“It decays shortly, often turning greenish after which pink-red because it dies. It smells unhealthy, like rotting plant matter or chlorine gasoline, with some folks describing it as a ‘fishy’ scent.”
Algal blooms can occur anywhere along the coast and are usually seen after rainfall events in estuaries and river mouths.
What can blue-green algae do?
While direct exposure is unlikely to cause serious health problems for humans, Lopez said people should rinse it off with soap as soon as possible if they are exposed to it.
The greater risk is eating fish or shellfish exposed to blue-green algae.
The algae releases a toxin which is then ingested by animals, especially oysters.
If eaten, such seafood could cause serious food poisoning.
How do I know if I have been exposed?
Consuming seafood exposed to blue-green algae can result in severe and quick-acting ill-effects.
Symptoms usually appear within 10 minutes to three hours of eating.
Symptoms include numbness and tingling (prickly feeling) around the mouth, face, and extremities (hands and feet), difficulty swallowing or breathing, dizziness and headaches.
Other symptoms include nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea, paralysis and respiratory failure and in severe cases, death.
Cooking shellfish does not negate the risk of food poisoning related to blue-green algae.
