Windsor-Essex County Health Unit issues advisory over blue-green algae

The south shores of Lake St. Clair are under a blue-green algae bloom advisory.

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit issued the warning on Friday, saying that people should avoid swimming if the water looks cloudy or like "green paint or pea soup."

"Infants and young children [under age six]should not swim or play in the water. For adults and children sixyears of age and older, they should swim with caution and rinse off after swimming," the health unit said in a media release.

Drinking water during an algae bloom could be fatal to pets.

Residents who use wells or cisterns that draw from that part of the lake should not drink the water unless a licensed lab finds the level ofmicrocystinsin the water to be below1.5 parts per billion (ppb), the health unit said.

Microcystinsare a toxin produced during blue-green algae blooms that can cause harm if the water is ingested or comes in contact with the skin. Children under six are most at risk, and the effects for those who come into contaminated waterinclude skin and eye irritation.

If the water is ingested, small amounts can causeheadaches, fever, and stomach symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. In large quantities, ingesting the water could cause liver damage.