Blue green skin#

Call your doctor or veterinarian right away if you or your pets or livestock have signs of poisoning. How do the toxins affect animals and humans?īlue-green algae can produce both nerve toxins (neurotoxins) and liver toxins (hepatotoxins).

Blue green skin#

Skin rashes on humans after being in the water.Įventually the toxins break down in the water and are destroyed naturally.Sudden, unexplained sickness or death of a cat or dog, especially if it has algae on its mouth, legs, or feet.Dead fish, waterfowl, or other animals.Toxic blooms can kill livestock and pets that drink the water.

In their toxic form, blue-green algae can cause illness in humans, pets, waterfowl, and other animals that come in contact with the algae. Some blue-green algae produce toxins or poisons. Is most common in the summer and fall but can occur anytime.Is made up of extremely small organisms that are hard to pick up or hold.Often looks like green paint floating on the water, but can also look bluish, brownish, or reddish green.Blue-green blooms usually float to the surface and can be several inches thick near the shoreline.Īlthough blue-green blooms can create nuisance conditions and undesirable water quality, most are not toxic. What is a blue-green algae bloom?Ī combination of warm temperatures, sunlight, and nutrient-rich waters can cause blue-green algae to reproduce rapidly, or 'bloom.' Within a few days a clear lake, pond, or ditch can become cloudy with algae growth.

These bacteria are cyanobacteria – cyan means 'blue-green' – and are commonly found on land and in lakes, rivers, ponds, and in estuaries and marine water. Blue-green algae are actually bacteria that have qualities similar to algae and other plants.