Health advisory issued for part of Henry’s Lake near Island Park

The pursuing is simply a news merchandise from nan Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.

The Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) is issuing a wellness advisory for nan westbound broadside of Henry’s Lake adjacent Island Park, urging be aware erstwhile recreating successful aliases adjacent nan water.

DHW useful intimately pinch Eastern Idaho Public Health and nan Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to identify, respond to, and show cyanobacteria harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs).

Recent samples from nan Henry’s Lake showed precocious amounts of toxin-producing cyanobacteria. The toxins they nutrient (cyanotoxins) tin beryllium harmful to people, pets, and livestock.

When recreating adjacent aliases successful nan westbound broadside of Henry’s Lake, return nan pursuing precautions while nan advisory is successful effect:

• Avoid swimming, wading, aliases different interaction pinch nan water. Take other attraction to guarantee children do not portion aliases get nan h2o connected them.
• Ensure pets and livestock do not portion aliases spell into nan water. If they person interaction pinch nan water, cleanable skin, hide, aliases fur pinch cleanable h2o correct away.
• Do not portion aliases navigator pinch nan water. Boiling aliases filtering nan h2o does not region nan toxins and tin summation nan consequence of becoming sick.
• Wash hands thoroughly successful cleanable h2o aft handling food aliases objects from nan water.
• If you take to eat food from nan water, cleanable and lavation food thoroughly successful uncontaminated water. Fillet nan fish, and region each fat, skin, and soul organs earlier cooking. Cyanotoxins tin build up successful fish, and nan consequence to group is unknown.
• Watch for symptoms. If you touch aliases aquatics successful nan h2o aliases respire successful h2o droplets, you mightiness acquisition a rash, hives, reddish eyes, wheezing, coughing, aliases shortness of breath. If you swallow nan water, you mightiness person tummy pain, diarrhea, aliases vomiting. You mightiness person a headache, musculus weakness, aliases dizziness. If your liver is damaged, your tegument mightiness move yellow, and you will person acheronian urine. If you deliberation you mightiness beryllium sick from cyanotoxin, consult your healthcare supplier aliases telephone nan poison halfway astatine (800) 222-1222. Notify algae@deq.idaho.gov.
• Monitor media reports and DHW’s website for wellness advisories.

Cyanobacteria are a earthy portion of Idaho’s h2o bodies. When temperatures rise, their populations tin bloom and toxic chemic compounds, aliases cyanotoxins, tin beryllium released into nan water. Blooms don’t each look nan same. They whitethorn look for illustration mats, foam, spilled paint, aliases aboveground scum, and person a foul odor.

Mats tin beryllium retired of show connected nan bottommost of nan h2o body. Pets, livestock, and wildlife tin get sick aliases die, wrong minutes to days aft cyanotoxin exposure.

Dogs whitethorn go sick first because they are much apt to aquatics successful aliases portion contaminated h2o aliases lick contaminated h2o aliases bloom worldly disconnected their fur. If your pets aliases livestock person been successful nan water, instantly lavation them pinch cleanable h2o to support them from licking cyanobacteria disconnected their bodies. Seek veterinary attraction instantly if your pets aliases livestock look sick aft going successful aliases drinking nan water.

For much accusation astir cyanoHABs, sojourn DEQ’s website astatine https://www.deq.idaho.gov/water-quality/surface-water/cyanobacteria-harmful-algal- blooms/ aliases DHW’s website astatine https://www.gethealthy.dhw.idaho.gov/recreational-water-health-advisories. The nationalist will beryllium notified erstwhile nan advisory is lifted.