A report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that more people and animals are getting sick from toxic algae that forms in bodies of water across the United States.
The report found that some animals—but no people—have died from the effects of toxic algae. Some 16 states reported a total of 117 illnesses among people and at least 2,715 animal illnesses as a result of harmful algal bloom (HAB) events, said the agency in a report published this week.
The vast majority, or 90 percent, of toxic algae blooms occurred in fresh water, namely in reservoirs, impoundments, and lakes, according to the CDC. Based on 2021 data, some 368 harmful algae bloom events were reported, representing a major increase compared to previous years, as fewer than than 250 HAB events were reported in 2020 and 2019, it found….