In the Loire basin, vigilance is required. And for good reason: since the beginning of August, 13 dogs have died after drinking in the river. At the origin of these deaths? Cyanobacteria, also called “blue algae”, whose presence has been confirmed by laboratory analyzes.
Precautionary measures
These algae, which thrive in standing water and in sunny areas, secrete a toxin that is dangerous for animals, which leads to a paralysis respiratory muscles. “Quickly after swimming, the dogs begin to present nervous type disorders. They will either salivate or have tremors and then gradually, it goes into convulsions”, specifies Cathy Dauphin, head of the protection service. animal to the Departmental Directorate for the Protection of Populations of Maine-et-Loire in France Info.
In humans, cyanobacteria are also dangerous and can cause “skin irritation, stomach cramps, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, fever, sore throat, headache, muscle and joint pain, blisters around the mouth and liver damage”, according to’World Health Organization (WHO). As a precaution, swimming and fishing are now prohibited. For the time being, at least seven departments are affected, from Loire-Atlantique to Cher.
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