Jamaica Pond closed due to potentially lethal algae bloom

Jamaica Pond temporarily has been closed due to potentially lethal algae bloom, according to a Boston Public Health Commission advisory.

The commission urged park visitors to avoid contact with the water and any areas with blooms of blue-green algae, even on shore, because they can produce toxins that can make people and pets sick.

During the pond’s closure, people are prohibited from swimming, boating or taking part in any other activities on or in the pond. Dogs also are barred from swimming in or drinking the water.

If you, your child or your dog comes into contact with the water or an algae bloom, rinse it off immediately, the health advisory said.

Blue-green algae can form harmful blooms in lakes, ponds and rivers that make the water murky and sometimes look like pea soup or paint.

Algae blooms may last for weeks in the summer or may disappear quite quickly. On Friday, staff from the state Department of Public Health and the Department of Environmental Protection took water samples from Jamaica Pond for analysis. The Boston Public Health Commission will review the results for the presence of a visible algae bloom in the pond over the coming weeks.

Water sampling will be done at least weekly while the algae bloom persists, and for several weeks after it is no longer visible. DPH recommends that the recreational water advisory not be lifted until two consecutive weekly samples show algal cell counts below the safe limit of 70,000 cells per milliliter of water.

As of Friday, health advisories had been issued for at least 20 Massachusetts bodies of water due to algae blooms reported to DPH.

For both humans and dogs, the primary concern is ingesting water containing the algae while swimming, according to the commission. The secondary concern is direct skin contact with the blue-green algae and inhaling water droplets containing the algae or its toxins. Dogs also can ingest scum that has washed ashore, or it can get onto their skin or fur.

Contact can cause skin and eye irritation, and inhalation can cause respiratory irritation and exacerbate pre-existing respiratory conditions, the advisory said. Ingestion of blue-green algae can cause acute gastrointestinal symptoms, such as vomiting and diarrhea. If the blue-green algae are producing any toxins, the health effects can be more serious, especially for small pets because they weigh less.

Depending on the specific toxin, ingestion of the algae can affect the functioning of the liver, kidneys, and/or neurological systems and, in severe cases, can result in death, according to the commission.

Call your veterinarian immediately if your dog has been around an algae bloom and shows symptoms such as vomiting, staggering, drooling or convulsing. These symptoms present themselves fairly quickly after exposure. Dogs have been known to eat the scum that washes ashore and/or lick scum out of their fur. In Massachusetts and in many other states, canine deaths have been documented due to the ingestion of harmful algae, the commission said.

The last time a body of water was closed due to blue-green algae blooms in Boston was in August of 2015, when officials closed Scarboro Pond in Franklin Park, said Caitlin McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Boston Public Health Commission. The pond was reopened the following month.

For more information, call the BPHC at 617-343-6976.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3yiDUxN