Sarpy Lakes Closed [people who live in the area are being told to stay out of the water]

wowt Oregon ^

[chance33_98]

Sarpy Lakes Closed

Toxic algae threat suspected

"My son said he come up to the dock and the dog was foaming at the mouth," Connie told us. "He thinks he got a hold of a toad. Then 15 minutes later the dog went down in the yard and collapsed with seizures."

Sarpy County authorities have shut down several lakes after the deaths of three dogs. The 300 people who live in the area are being told to stay out of the water.

For the second time in as many weeks, Nebraska lake water is killing pets.

Last week, Buccaneer Bay Lake tested positive for a toxic form of algae that killed three dogs.

Now the attention turns to the area of Hanson Lakes, just two miles north of Buccaneer Bay Lake.

There are three Hanson Lakes, along with Betty Lake and Chris Lake and the water there smells like the waters of Buccaneer Bay smelled a couple of weeks ago.

On Sunday, Connie Ryba's son Greg lost his yellow lab after the dog went running into the water.

"My son said he come up to the dock and the dog was foaming at the mouth," Connie told us. "He thinks he got a hold of a toad. Then 15 minutes later the dog went down in the yard and collapsed with seizures."

The dog died a few minutes later.

The same thing happened to a sheepdog on Saturday.

Neighbors are so concerned that signs were posted at the entrance to the lakes urging everyone to keep their pets out of the water.

Dave Schumacher works for the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality and he's trying to determine what killed the dogs.

As was the case at Buccaneer Bay Lake, Schumacher suspects the water might carry a toxic form of blue-green algae that attacks the liver after being swallowed.

He says, "Ingesting the water is key. As to how much water needs to be ingested before death, that all depends on the toxins, the weight of the child or animal, that sort of thing."

With Memorial Day approaching, many are wondering when it will safe to venture out to Chris Lake or the other Hanson Lakes again.

The answer to that is unclear. Buccaneer Bay Lake has still not reopened and that problem surfaced two weeks ago.

[chance33_98]

Edit: Nebraska, not Oregon news source

[B4Ranch]

I wonder how many deer and other small animals are wandering off and dying without any reports.

[lelio]

As was the case at Buccaneer Bay Lake, Schumacher suspects the water might carry a toxic form of blue-green algae that attacks the liver after being swallowed.

That must be some highly potent toxin to cause death that quickly. We had some of the blue-green algae (aka cyanobacteria) here in Seattle's Green Lake, but I can't recall any fatalities and its blue-green levels were 1.5-2x higher than the WHO says is safe.

[chance33_98]

Ping for your wisdom :)

[knarf]

"The answer to that is unclear."

Frankly, I don't give a $h!t about the answer right now ... I'd like to know the cause.

Can algae become deadly toxic by some insidious means?

[zygoat]

I know this is going to put me into the tin foil hat bin, but here goes......I am beginning to think that our water has been contaminated by something around here. Almost everyone I know has complained of weird little ailments that seem to last for months. I first suspected allergies but the complaints seem too varied.

[Indie]

Gotta be a cover for terrorists poisoning the lake. No fresh water algea is this deadly to large animals. When have you heard of animals dying from swimming in a lake? ..Me neither/.
Something smells.

[Indie]

Are any of these "ailments" by any chance headache with nausea and no other symptoms?

[Revel]

Our water is being contaminated by the USDA(Nitrate) via liquid manure. They don't care.

[mtbopfuyn]

That's ok, I keep my tinfoil hat handy any time there's mention of unexplained ailments. Chemical poisoning symptoms can be different person to person and many dismiss it as the flu.

Years ago many families here got sick when the gubbernut intentionally poisoned the bad fish, the wanna die with stuff coming out both ends sick. Oh no, it won't hurt humans. Yeah, right, but that was back when everyone was innocent of such things. I don't remember what the chemical was but know it's now on the don't ever use list (hello!).

Another time Mr. M and I both got sick when we bug bombed the house. It was that stuff that makes fleas sterile. It was the strangest thing. We had different symptoms. Mr. M was having migraines. I couldn't think straight (hush, no comments!) and was nauseated so didn't feel like leaving the house. Finally, I went to the doctor and had to wait forever so by the time I was seen I felt fine. But when I was back home, I was sick again. It was weeks before we realized what caused it and had to have the carpets, furniture, walls and everything cleaned.

There was another time I think I had some sort of chemical poisoning but I know better than to mention it here. Anyway, the symptoms were similar to a severe pneumonia but the tests came back negative. Docs tried every antibiotic and nothing worked. Nasty green phlegm, joints on fire, and total loss of balance even sitting. It lasted better than 6 weeks and years later I still have some lingering physical complications.

[vetvetdoug]

Bufo spp. toadfrogs cause exactly what the boy described. I treated a frog toxicity in a dog just this weekend. Ingestion of a toadfrog can and will cause seizures, vomiting, bloody diarrhea and death. If this was happening in my area I would look to the cause being more like a horse than to look somewhere for a zebra.

[LadyDoc]

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hsb/algal.htm

"Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) can be found in terrestrial, fresh, brackish, or marine water environments. These organisms produce toxins that may cause acute or chronic illnesses (including neurotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, and skin irritation) in humans and animals (including other mammals, fish, and birds). A number of human health effects, including gastroenteritis, respiratory effects, skin irritations, allergic responses, and liver damage, are associated with the ingestion of or contact with water containing cyanobacterial blooms."


I know about Red Tide which we have to watch out for in the Phlippines on and off. And Ciguatera fish poisoning is not unknown (remember the fish in the movie AIRPLANE!? That was this poison).

Didn't know about this one however. Another cause might be someone dumped a chemical into the lake. Sounds like a neurotoxin, like insecticide.

And some toads are poisonous to dogs:

http://www.napa.ufl.edu/2001news/toads.htm

http://www.workingdogs.com/doc0175.htm

"Bufo sp. Toads—Some 16 species of bufo toads are found around the world. Bufo alvarius (Colorado River toad) is found in the Southwest, and Bufo marinus is found in Florida and Hawaii. Bufo's are attracted to dogs' watering dishes, and may sit in the rim long enough to leave enough toxin to make a dog ill. Untreated death rate, especially for Bufo marinus may approach 100%. Dogs may mouth bufo toads, thus getting a large dose of the bufo's toxins, secreted from the skin and paratid glands. Symptoms generally include profuse foamy salivation that looks like shaving cream, difficulty breathing, convulsions, paralysis, ventricular fibrillation, vomiting, cyanosis, and hallucination. "

[chance33_98]

Thanks for the info!

[zygoat]

"Are any of these "ailments" by any chance headache with nausea and no other symptoms?"

Yes, that is one of them. Another is suddenly getting a sore throat so intense with swollen glands that it looks like strep, only to disappear the next day replaced by an earache or cramps of some kind. I should clarify that I live in western Maryland, not the great northwest.

[jenwelch]

I am a nurse at the Animal Emergency Clinic where 6 of the 7 blue-green algae dogs were admitted. Mr. Ryba's loss of his beautiful Lab is so sad and I first send my sympathies for the loss of a vibrant, young animal as does all of the staff at the clinic. His dog was not the first case, nor unfortunately, the last.

My desire is not to start a blue-green algae panic but I would urge all to steer clear of the lakes in Sarpy and Cass County this holiday weekend as we have just admitted another dog with suspected blue-green algae toxicity. This dog had been swimming in Thomas Lake near Ashland, NE and exhibits the same symptoms as all the others.

This algae is one of the most ancient life forms on earth and actually is present all the time. It thrives on high nitrate levels (fertilizers) and windy (more than normal) conditions. Pet owners should look for a blue-green tint to the water, algae clumps near the shoreline, and/or an obvious pea-green color to the water. Toxicity occurs when large amounts of algae die and release the toxins they contain.

Pets may present with signs of excessive salivation, lethargy, uncontrollable urination and large amounts of diarrhea. If you even SUSPECT that your dog has been affected, SEEK VETERINARY ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY!! All but one dog has died within hours of being in an affected lake. There can also be long-term effects on the liver and should an animal survive the initial period, bloodwork to indicate liver function is recommended up to 60 days after exposure.

To those conspiracy theorists among us, this problem has existed for over a century throughout agricultural nations. From my research, nearly every state containing surface fed lakes or ponds has experienced the problem at one time or another, the first cases being found in Australia in 1898. Large numbers of livestock have died in Nebraska in the past from the same thing... once mysterious cattle deaths in the 70's now cleared up and other incidences.

In humans, contact usually results in skin irritation, etc. Of course there are always those rare cases in which a person has died but generally people will realize that the water smells or looks unhealthy and will not enter it.

I hope this information is helpful to someone.