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Bureau of Community Public Health Medicine

The Florida Department of Health’s (DOH) Aquatic Toxins Program works to protect both residents and visitors by educating the public about Harmful Algae Blooms (HABs) and their toxins, watching for illnesses in communities, sponsoring research to find out more about how these toxins affect our health, and working with other local, state and federal agencies to decrease exposures to toxins from these harmful microorganisms.

The Aquatic Toxin Program is involved with the following activities:

  • Surveillance:  We are partners with the Florida Poison Information Centers and Florida Department of Health County Health Departments to find out about poisonings from HABs.

  • Education and Outreach: The Program works to educate health care professionals and the public about illnesses from HABs.

  • Research Projects: DOH is studying how HABs affect people, especially those very sensitive to the toxins.

  • Public Health Policy Development:  Scientists and health experts are assisting Florida Department of Health County Health Departments and other local government agencies to respond to HABs in their communities.

We would like to learn more about health problems people experience from HABs.  Affected individuals should call:

Toll-free Aquatic Toxins Hotline at 1-888-232-8635.

It will help us study how these toxins affect our health and find ways to protect our families.

Link to Collaborators and Partners

Other aquatic toxins and harmful algal Bloom web sites

Funding for this program comes from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Grant # U50-CCU423360-01.

Return to the Aquatic Toxins Home Page