The Peru Gazette

Burlington is not the only place with blue-green algae problems. The Port Douglas Beach near Keeseville was deemed unsafe for swimming today. This photo was taken yesterday a few hundred yards north of Port Douglas Beach. This form of algae is hazardous to humans and animals. Visitors sometimes arrive at a rented camp not aware of the problem. It’s not uncommon for the algae to sicken dogs who wade in the lake. Please stay vigilant.

As the Vermont Digger reported in the previous story, “Cyanobacteria occur organically, and most of the time, the bacteria are harmless. But when cyanobacteria’s preferred conditions of high nutrient levels and warm water temperatures appear, they multiply rapidly, forming blooms that make the water look like pea soup.”

“As the water clears up and the blooms break down, they can release harmful toxins called cyanotoxins that can cause a variety of ailments including liver failure, paralysis and, in some cases, death.”