The Harmful Algal Blooms program monitors the health effects of people who come in contact with blue green algae in recreational water. The Iowa Department of Public Health works collaboratively with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) 
and CDC to expand a system that tracks and reports human illnesses related to harmful algal blooms.
Several known species of harmful algal blooms occur throughout the world. The kind most frequently found in Iowa are called blue green algae, or cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria occur when algae that are normally present in water grow exuberantly. Within a few days, a bloom can cause clear water to become cloudy or covered in a scum layer. The cloudy or scummy water often smells bad. Algal blooms usually float to the surface and can be many inches thick, especially near the shoreline. Blue green algae often form in warm, slow moving waters that are rich in nutrients, such as fertilizer runoff or septic system overflows. Blooms can occur at any time, but most often occur in late summer or early fall. Algal blooms can appear quickly and can last a few hours, days or weeks.
Blue green algae can produce toxins that can cause people to get sick. Not all algal blooms produce toxins, however. The IDNR's Beach Monitoring program tests the water of many of Iowa's beaches and currently also tests for the presence of some toxins caused by harmful algal blooms.
Blue green algae, or cyanobacteria, can produce toxins that can cause illnesses in people and animals. Microcystin is one of the cyabobacterial toxins that can be released from bacteria in the water during the life cycle of a blue-green algae bloom. People who accidentally swallow water or breathe in water droplets containing microcystin can develop gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Other symptoms can include cough, runny eyes and nose, sore throat, and asthma-like symptoms. Skin rashes can also develop. In severe cases, liver failure can occur.
Suspected and confirmed cases of exposure to blue green algae are reportable 
in Iowa through October 31, 2011.
IDPH is specifically asking health care providers to report cases that meet the following criteria:
To report cases, please call the Iowa Department of Public Health at (800) 972-2026. This telephone line is only staffed during business hours. If you call after hours, please leave a message and your call will be returned the next business day.
Individuals who believe they may have become ill from exposure to blue green algae can notify IDPH by sending an email to "Contact Us". The email should include the person's name and day time phone number, along with information about where and when the exposure occurred. An IDPH staff member will contact the individual to conduct a confidential telephone interview.
Photos courtesy of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Beach Monitoring ProgramContact Information
Stu Schmitz, Environmental Toxicologist
(515)281-8707
Randy Lane, Program Planner
(515)281-5894
Use the "Contact Us" page to submit questions online.
Documents denoted by are available in Portable Document Format (.pdf).
