Red Tide Reported Off Pinellas Coast, May Cause Breathing Problems

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — The Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County has issued a health alert for Pinellas County beaches after a red tide bloom was detected by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission off the Pinellas County coast Friday.

This is the first red tide health alert issued by the DOH-Pinellas this year.

According to DOH-Pinellas public information officer, Tom Iovino, the presence of red tide blooms may cause some people to have mild and short-lived respiratory symptoms such as eye, nose and throat irritation, similar to cold symptoms.

Some people with breathing problems such as asthma might experience more severe symptoms, Iovino said. Symptoms usually go away when the person leaves the area or goes indoors.

Health officials recommend that people experiencing these symptoms stay away from beach areas or go into an air-conditioned space. If symptoms do not subside, they should visit a health-care provider for evaluation.

DOH-Pinellas recommends people take these steps in areas affected by red tide:

• Do not swim around dead fish.
• Those with chronic respiratory problems should take care and consider staying away from locations with red tide because it may affect their breathing.
• Do not harvest or eat molluscan shellfish and distressed or dead fish from affected locations. If the fish are healthy, rinse the fillets with tap or bottled water and throw out the guts.
• Keep pets away from the water, sea foam and dead sea life.
• Residents living in beach areas are advised to close windows and run the air conditioner (making sure that the A/C filter is maintained according to the manufacturer's specifications).
• If outdoors, residents may choose to wear paper filter masks, especially if onshore winds are blowing.

For information on where red tide has been found, visit the FWC red tide current status map.

Red tide, Karenia brevis, is a harmful algal bloom resulting from the proliferation of toxic or nuisance algae. It occurs almost every year in the Gulf of Mexico and can harm marine animals and humans.

Florida Poison Control Centers have a toll-free 24/7 hotline for reporting illnesses, including health effects from exposure to red tide: 1-888-232-8635.