EUSTIS, Fla. — The Florida Department of Health in Lake County issued a health alert Monday, warning of harmful blue-green algae toxins in the Dead River.

The alert follows the results of tests on a water sample from the residential canal south of U.S. Highway 441 taken June 9, according to health department officials.

People and pets should avoid coming in contact with water from the Dead River, health officials said. Residents and advisers are urged to take the following precautions, they said:

• Do not drink, swim, wade, use personal watercraft, water ski or boat in waters where there is a visible bloom.
• People who have contact with algae or discolored or smelly water should wash their skin and clothing with soap and water.
• Keep pets and livestock away from the area. Waters where there are algae blooms are not safe for animals.
• Do not cook or clean dishes with water contaminated by algae blooms. Boiling the water will not eliminate the toxins.
• Eating fillets from healthy fish caught in freshwater lakes experiencing blooms is safe. Rinse fish fillets with tap or bottled water, throw out the guts, and cook fish well.
• Do not eat shellfish in waters with algae blooms.

Blue-green algae blooms are common in Florida’s freshwaters, especially in the summer and fall because warm water temperatures combined with still water conditions and excess nutrients. They can discolor water and often produce floating mats that emit unpleasant odors.