SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – The Florida Department of Health is reminding residents in Sarasota County of elevated levels of red tide found at local beaches.
The following beaches were found to have higher counts of red tide following Monday’s beach water samples:
- Longboat Key
- Bird Key Park/Ringling Causeway
- North Lido
- Lido Casino
- South Lido
- Siesta Beach
- Turtle Beach
- Nokomis Beach
- North Jetty
- Venice Beach
- Service Club
- Venice Fishing Pier
- Brohard Park
- Caspersen
- Manasota Key
- Blind Pass
Beachgoers may experience mild and short-lived respiratory symptoms such as eye, nose, and throat irritation. Some people with existing breathing problems, such as asthma, might experience more severe symptoms.
If you do head to one of the above beaches, FDOH recommends people to not swim near/around dead fish, harvest or eat molluscan shellfish and distressed or dead fish, and to keep pets or livestock away from the water, seafoam, and dead sea life.
Florida Poison Control Centers have a toll-free 24/7 hotline for reporting illnesses, including health effects from exposure to red tide at 1-800-222-1222.
For more information on red tide in Sarasota County, visit the health department’s website and click on Water Quality – Red Tide.
