DOH-Sarasota issues Red Tide Advisory for several south county beaches

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - The Florida Department of Health in Sarasota County is notifying the public of elevated levels of red tide detected at area beaches. Most of these beaches are in south county.

Red tide can cause some people to have mild and short-lived respiratory symptoms such as eye, nose, and throat irritation like those associated with the common cold or seasonal sinus allergies. This can cause severe symptoms among individuals with respiratory issues like asthma.

Usually, symptoms stop when a person leaves the beach or goes indoors. It’s best to avoid the beach or go indoor if issues present themselves.

If symptoms do not subside, contact your healthcare provider for evaluation.

Due to elevated counts of red tide from Monday’s beach water samples, DOH-Sarasota will be posting signage at several beaches to advise the public that red tide is present.

The beaches with elevated levels of red tide include Turtle Beach, Nokomis Beach, North Jetty, Venice Beach, Service Club Park, Venice Fishing Pier, Brohard Beach, and Caspersen Beach.

The Department makes the following recommendations:

· Do not swim around dead fish.

· If you have chronic respiratory problems, consider staying away from the beach as red tide can affect your breathing.

· Do not harvest or eat molluscan shellfish and distressed or dead fish. If fish are healthy, rinse fillets with tap or bottled water and throw out the guts.

· Keep pets and livestock away from water, sea foam, and dead sea life.

· Residents living in beach areas who experience respiratory symptoms are advised to close windows and run the air conditioner (ensuring 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.