To the Editor:
I want to thank the person who wrote the letter last week (“Algae is a reason for concern,” August 12) related to the Chilmark Pond. One of my family members had gone crabbing at night last weekend on the Chilmark Pond. He did not feel well when he got home, and during the night had difficulty with concentration, swelling of feet, muscle pain, and severe difficulty standing or bearing weight.
It became quite apparent that his exposure to the Chilmark Pond, where there was algae bloom, was related to his symptoms, and after reading that letter, it was very apparent that he had absorbed toxins from the water. He was lucky that he did not drink or eat crabs from that pond.
The cyanobacteria from this algae bloom can be deadly, and upon further evaluation, there can be a 12 percent mortality rate with exposure, and higher if water or shellfish were consumed.
Chilmark Health Department was notified, and she was very aware of this danger and had posted signs, but many people tend to ignore this. DON’T! Unfortunately, where he entered the pond, and at night, he did not see any signs.
Please take the algae bloom seriously. We were lucky that our family member’s exposure, as painful as it was and still is, was not worse. The lasting side effects are still present, but improving. For some, exposure can cause lasting neurological effects that may not improve.
Please listen to the warnings of the health department related to ”No fishing” or “No shellfish harvesting.” This can save your life.
Carol Forgione
Edgartown