(Sherburn, Mn.)– The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is warning animal owners about the dangers of toxic blue-green algae.
The agency says a dog died last Sunday hours after swimming in Fox Lake near Sherburn.
MPCA officials say the lake had been experiencing “algae blooms”.
It was the season’s first animal death in Minnesota attributed to the algae.
MPCA staff have collected water samples at Fox Lake, with results pending.
The agency says human deaths from exposure to blue-green algae are rare, but health effects can include skin irritations and nausea. Young children are more susceptible than adults.
