The Medical Officer of Health for Bay of Plenty and Lakes Public Health has issued a health warning for Lake Rotorua including the Ōhau Channel as routine monitoring results provided by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council have confirmed a bloom of potentially toxic blue-green algae.
The health warning means that people should avoid any activity which results in significant contact with the lake water,
Contact with algal blooms can cause asthma and hayfever symptoms in some individuals, as well as skin rashes, stomach upsets, and in some cases neurological effects such as tingling around the mouth, headaches, breathing difficulties and visual problems.
Monitoring will continue and any changes in advice will be communicated accordingly.
Visit info.health.nz for further information