MITCHELL, SD (Mitchell Now) — Dangerous levels of blue-green algae have been detected in Lake Mitchell.
Officials within the city’s parks and recreation department announced on Friday morning via Facebook that a public health warning has been issued after a lab report indicated high concentrations of microcystin. People should avoid any contact with the lake water.
Microcystins cannot be broken down by the human digestive track due to their chemical structure. They travel to the liver and significantly damage it. Other side effects from exposure to microcystins include abdominal pain, vomiting and nausea, diarrhea, headaches, and blistering around the mouth.
After inhaling the spores, someone will often have a sore throat, plus a dry cough. Pneumonia is even a possibility. No cause for the harmful algal bloom has been given.