Toxic Blue-Green Algae Follow Up
Here is a follow up to the tragic story of Vita, the Border Collie, who lost her life after swimming in a lake in Michigan last week. The lake contained toxic blue-green algae.
Officials look into possible algae link to dog’s death
7/1/2007, 10:20 a.m. EDT
The Associated Press
HARTLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — A 9-month-old border collie died after swimming in Tyrone Lake in Livingston County, and now officials are looking into whether toxic blue-green algae could be to blame.
Bob Tatus, of Hartland Township, took the dog, Vita, for a swim last Monday. Soon afterward, the dog got sick, and by Tuesday morning Vita was dead. A veterinarian suggested the possibility of toxic poisoning.
Tatus said he saw thick algae on the surface of the lake the night the dog swam.
“I didn’t think anything of it,” he said.
Samples taken Tuesday from the lake, located on the Hartland Township and Tyrone Township border, showed small amounts a blue-green algae toxin, microcystin, which can harm the liver, the Detroit Free Press reported.
Results were pending on a second type, anatoxin, which affects the neurological system, the newspaper said.
The state said the microcystin results were below the World Health Organization’s standard for recreational waters. And Gerald Saalfeld, of the state Department of Environmental Quality’s water bureau, said the lake was treated with copper sulfate, which kills algae, after the dog died.
The lake’s surface is now clear, said Matt Bolang, water specialist with Livingston County’s Environmental Health division. Bolang told the Livingston County Daily Press & Argus of Howell that testing is ongoing.
“We’re doing some testing to see if that’s there,” he said.
October 29th, 2007 at 6:00 pm
Just so everyone knows, the lake again became infected with the blue green algae only a couple months after Vita died. I had to call the DEQ to report the algae blooms who, the day Vita died, promised they’d stay on top of this. Well, they didn’t stay on top of anything.
Furthermore, the powers that be on Lake Tyrone are still convinced I should apologize for bringing down the property values because of my making such a big fuss over the toxic algae. Next they’ll be blaming me for global warming!
About a month ago, I got an anonymous phone call from a gentleman who only introduced himself as an “independent water researcher” who said he was convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that the concentration of blue green algae was highest in front of my home simply because of its location on the lake. Because of leeward winds blowing to the east, and the shallow water there, he was convinced the toxin level was high enough to kill Vita the night she went swimming. The fact that the lake water had cooled off by the following morning is why the lake tested within acceptable parameters.
October 30th, 2007 at 8:24 am
Dear Robert,
Thank you so much for updating us on the blue green algae problem. I’m so sorry about what happened to Vita. Thank you for speaking out about it. Your words may have saved many other dogs and people from the same fate.
You have nothing to apologize for! I really hope that there are people, perhaps like your anonymous caller, who are following up on this toxic algae and doing some research on ways to permanently control it.
Thank you again for giving us this update. Please let us know what else you learn. I’m afraid next spring and summer the same conditions will occur again and others will be at risk unless something is done.
God bless,
Carlotta