Walkers and pet owners urged to be careful after toxic blue-green algae spotted at Scots beauty spots

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Walkers and pet owners are being urged to avoid bodies of water after signs of potentially toxic blue-green algae were spotted at beauty spots.There have been recent reports of the algae, technically known as cyanobacteria, at locations including on North Third Reservoir, near Whins of Milton, Stirling, and on Loch Tay, near the Killin end, Perthshire.Stirling’s MSP Evelyn Tweed says she has received reports of the blue-green algae on the two bodies of water in recent days.She said: “As a precautionary measure please do not enter the water or allow children or dogs to enter the water or drink from the water.”The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) said that it had not received any reports of blue-green algae at North Third Reservoir.Blue-green algae is a collection of microscopic organisms that are naturally present in lakes and streams.

However, in the right circumstance the algae can become much more abundant in warm, shallow, undisturbed, nutrient-rich surface waters that receive a lot of sunlight.When that happens, the algae blooms and discolours the water there and can produce a scum on the water’s surface – sometimes giving the appearance of pea soup.

Click here for more news and sport from the Stirling area. Blooms of the organisms often build up around the edges of ponds and lakes and may look like foam.For dogs, exposure to the toxic algae is often fatal.

It can affect liver function and cause long term health problems in dogs that survive after drinking or swimming in algae-contaminated water.Symptoms of blue-green algae poisoning include; vomiting; diarrhoea; seizures; weakness; unconsciousness; confusion; drooling; and breathing difficulties.In humans, the bacteria can cause skin irritation,