Health Alert: Red Tide, Dead Fish Found At Tampa Bay Beaches

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — The Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County is notifying the public of red tide blooms within Tampa Bay.

This map contains the last eight days of sampling. A health alert has been issued for the following beaches: Picnic Island and Davis Islands.

Caution signs have been placed at Ben T. Davis and Cypress Point due to the presence of red tide in the Tampa Bay area.

Some people may have mild and short-lived respiratory symptoms such as eye, nose and throat irritation similar to cold symptoms. Some people with breathing problems such as asthma might experience more severe symptoms. Usually symptoms go away when a person leaves the area or goes indoors.

Health officials recommend that people experiencing these symptoms stay away from beach areas or go into an air-conditioned space. If symptoms do not subside, contact your health care provider for evaluation

DOH-Hillsborough recommends that you:

• Do not swim around dead fish at this location.
• If you have chronic respiratory problems, be careful and consider staying away from this location as red tide can affect your breathing.
• Do not harvest or eat molluscan shellfish from this location.
• Do not harvest or eat distressed or dead fish from this location.
• Rinse fillets from healthy fish with tap or bottled water. Throw out guts.
• Keep pets and livestock away from water, sea foam and dead sea life.

Florida Poison Control Centers has a toll-free 24/7 hotline for reporting of illnesses, including health effects from exposure to red tide at 1-800-222-1222.