A blue-green algae advisory has been issued for a lake west of Edmonton.
Alberta Health Services issued the advisory for Lake Isle on Wednesday, after blooms of blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) were discovered in the water.
People are asked to avoid all contact with the algae blooms and not feed whole fish or fish trimmings to their pets. People are asked to limit consumption of fish from the lake, as fish can store toxins in their liver.
Anyone who comes in contact with blue-green algae blooms should wash it off as soon as possible.
Residents and visitors are also reminded not to drink the water from the lake or cook with it.
Blue-green algae can appear like scum, grass clippings, fuzz or globs on the surface of the water. The algae can be blue-green, greenish-brown, brown, and/or pinkish-red, and often smell musty or grassy.
People who come in contact with blue-green algae may experience skin irritation, rash, sore throat, sore red eyes, swollen lips, fever, nausea and vomiting and/or diarrhea. Symptoms usually appear within one to three hours of contact.
Lake Isle is located approximately 95 kilometres west of Edmonton
For more information on blue-green algae, visit Alberta Health Service’s website.
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