People were advised to stay out of water that looked like this. Photo / Supplied
People were advised to stay out of water that looked like this. Photo / Supplied
People are being advised to be careful around Lakes Rotorua, Rotoiti and Rotoehu after unsafe algal bloom was recorded.
Toi Te Ora Public Health medical officer of health Dr Phil Shoemack today announced that recent sampling results confirmed that there was a level of algal bloom found in these lakeswhich could be harmful to people and animals.
The laboratory results showed that the cyanobacteria present were below health warning levels. But did produce toxins which could be harmful to people and animals, especially dogs.
People should assess the colour of the water, scum on the surface and the odour and if any were present, they were advised to stay out.
Most of the Rotorua lakes had some history of algal blooms and there were no recent reports of people becoming ill from contact with algae.
However, the health effects could be significant, especially for children and anyone with a predisposition to skin problems, asthma and general respiratory conditions, said Shoemack.
