title: Cyanobacteria and algae blooms: Review of health and environmental data from the Harmful Algal Bloom-Related Illness Surveillance System (HABISS) 2007-2011.
abstract: Algae and cyanobacteria are present in all aquatic environments. We do not have a good sense of the extent of human and animal exposures to cyanobacteria or their toxins, nor do we understand the public health impacts from acute exposures associated with recreational activities or chronic exposures associated with drinking water. We describe the Harmful Algal Bloom-related Illness Surveillance System (HABISS) and summarize the collected reports describing bloom events and associated adverse human and animal health events. For the period of 2007-2011, Departments of Health and/or Environment from 11 states funded by the National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention contributed reports for 4534 events. For 2007, states contributed 173 reports from historical data. The states participating in the HABISS program built response capacity through targeted public outreach and prevention activities, including supporting routine cyanobacteria monitoring for public recreation waters. During 2007-2010, states used monitoring data to support196 public health advisories or beach closures. The information recorded in HABISS and the application of these data to develop a wide range of public health prevention and response activities indicate that cyanobacteria and algae blooms are an environmental public health issue that needs continuing attention.
authors.affiliation: National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway NE, Chamblee, GA 30341, USA. lbacker@cdc.gov.
authors.forename: Lorraine C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Backer
authors.affiliation: American Cancer Society, 250 Williams Street, Quad 6C, Atlanta,‎ GA 30303, USA. deana.baptiste@cancer.org.
authors.forename: Deana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Manassaram-Baptiste
authors.affiliation: Virginia Department of Health, 109 Governor Street, Richmond, VA 23219, USA. rebecca.leprell@vdh.virginia.gov.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: LePrell
authors.affiliation: International Trachoma Initiative, the Task Force for Global Health, 325 Swanton Way, Decatur, GA 30030, USA. bbolton@taskforce.org.
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bolton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D058491:Bacterial Load; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D057097:Harmful Algal Bloom; D006801:Humans; D011159:Population Surveillance; D014118:Toxins, Biological / Q000032:analysis / Q000506:poisoning*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000506:poisoning*
chemical_list: D014118:Toxins, Biological; D014873:Water Pollutants
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