How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
News
Billions of people around the world have received the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. The rapid development of these vaccines changed the course of the pandemic, providing protection against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
But these vaccines would not have been possible it if weren’t for the pioneering work of this year’s winners of the Nobel prize in physiology or medicine decades earlier.
Dr Katalin Karikó and Dr Drew Weissman, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, have been given the prestigious award for their discoveries into mRNA biology. The pair were the first to discover a way of modifying mRNA that allowed it to successfully be delivered to cells and replicated by them.
Their discovery was not only integral to COVID-19 vaccine development, but may also lead to the development of many other therapies – such as vaccines for cancer.
Life’s work
Karikó is a Hungarian biochemist and Weissman an American physician scientist. The two began working together in 1985 when Karikó was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, where Weissman was already working as an immunologist. They had a shared interest in how mRNA could be used to make new therapies.
Messenger RNA (better known as mRNA) is an essential molecule to life. It’s made in the body from our very own DNA in a process called translation. DNA is our special encoded handbook of instructions for manufacturing proteins, which are the building blocks for material in the body.
Our mRNA copies and carries these genetic instructions from our DNA to our cells. The cells then make whatever protein they’ve been instructed to, such as haemoglobin which helps red blood cells carry oxygen around the body.
Karikó and Weissman thought that if it was possible to commandeer this process, mRNA could be used to instruct cells to essentially make their own cures. But at the time they started working together, attempts by other researchers to do this had been unsuccessful.
The researchers faced two major challenges as they began their work. The first was being able to prevent the host from mounting an immune response against the modified mRNA. The second was being able to deliver the mRNA into the host safely without it degrading.
To understand how they overcame the first barrier, it’s important to understand mRNA’s structure. Normally, mRNA molecules contain four types of smaller molecules known as bases (nucleosides): A (adenine), U (uridine), G (guanine), and C (cytosine). Different sequences of these bases can be strung together to produce the basis of an mRNA molecule.
In early experiments, Karikó and Weismann found that injecting normal mRNA molecules into mice led to an immune response. This meant the mouse’s immune system saw the new mRNA as an invading pathogen and the immune cells would destroy it, instead of replicating it.
So the researchers modified the U nucleoside to create a pseudouridine, a chemical compound which stabilises RNA’s structure. When they repeated their experiment with the modified mRNA, the mice exhibited no immune response.
But Karikó and Weismann still faced the second challenge of being able to deliver the bespoke mRNA without it degrading.
They decided to use lipids (a nanoparticle) to deliver it. These fatty chemical compounds are an essential part of the cell membrane, controlling what enters and leaves the cell. Specially created lipids allowed the mRNA molecules to be delivered without being degraded or broken down by the immune system.
Karikó and Weissman’s research had successfully eliminated the obstacles that had previously stood in the way of using mRNA clinically. Being able to instruct the body to replicate virtually any harmless protein could have potential for treating a range of diseases and even protect against viral infections.
COVID vaccines
When their research was first published, it didn’t garner much attention. But in 2011, two biotech companies – Moderna and BioNTech – took notice and began research into mRNA medicines.
It’s no wonder why. Traditional vaccine production methods are time consuming, expensive and don’t work for every vaccine. But Karikó and Weissman’s work showed that synthetic mRNA could be made at a large scale.
Researchers had already been working on developing mRNA vaccines before the pandemic, such as a vaccine for Ebola that didn’t receive much commercial interest. But in 2020, when COVID-19 began spreading around the globe, vaccines were needed quickly to offer protection.
Using the foundational work of Karikó and Weissman, scientists developed a bespoke mRNA sequence which mimicked the spike protein (which allows the virus to enter our cells). This produced a harmless COVID particle which our cells then replicated, allowing our bodies to protect us from severe COVID infections when it encountered the real virus.
Karikó and Weissman’s discoveries years earlier were critical in making the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines possible. But these aren’t the only ways their work could be applied.
Researchers are now hoping to develop mRNA vaccines for diseases such as HIV and Zika virus. Studies have also shown mRNA vaccines might be useful in treating certain types of cancer.
Alice Godden, Senior research associate, School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
The event will take place from 4 to 7 p.m.
This community-building partnership brings police and other government agencies together under positive circumstances.
Lakeport first hosted the event in 2013.
“Together we can reduce crime and build a stronger community,” according to Brad Rasmussen, Chief of Police in Lakeport.
The department invites the community to join together for a fun evening. “Get to know your neighbors and build relationships with your local public service agencies,” said Rasmussen.
One of the special activities to kick off that fun will be bicycle decorating on Park Street sponsored by the Lakeport Main Street Association. Children are invited to bring their bikes to the park.
Other activities for children will be available, along with raffle prizes for children and adults.
Local citizens and businesses are sponsors and donors; over 29 partner agencies will be present with booths providing important public information and resources.
Participating agencies include health services, animal care services, Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services, Behavioral Health, Probation, Social Services, service dogs, California Highway Patrol, school district and educational services, victim witness services, disaster preparedness, Pacific Gas and Electric and city services.
Also participating are Redwood Community Services, Safe RX Lake County, Lake County Chamber of Commerce, Coast Guard Auxiliary, Lake Family Resource Center, American Red Cross, Lakeport Fire Protection District, Lakeport Elks, Sutter Lakeside Hospital and Lake County Tribal Health Consortium.
The Kiwanis Club of Lakeport will be barbecuing hot dogs. Face painting by Chayo will be offered.
Everything at this event is free of charge due to generous sponsors, including Clearlake Club, Elite Barber Shop, Hong Kong Restaurant, J. Byrd & Associates, Kingdom Games & Comics, Lakeport Auto Movies Drive-In and Lakeport Cinema 5, Lakeport Grocery Outlet and Lakeport Tire and Auto Service.
Additional sponsors are Larios Photography, NAPA Auto Parts, Pak N Mail, Stonefire Pizza, Strings and Things, Throckmorton Jones, UCC Rentals, Ukiah Oxygen Co., Joy Madeiros Veteran’s Museum and Wine in the Willows.
Updated information will be posted on the Police Department’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/LakeportPolice/.
For more information, contact Chief of Police Brad Rasmussen at 707-263-5491.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 3, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8, online at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx and on the county’s Facebook page. Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.
To participate in real-time, join the Zoom meeting by clicking this link.
The meeting ID is 915 6297 6277, pass code 943858. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16699006833,,91562976277#,,,,*943858#.
In an item timed for 11:30 a.m., sitting as Lake County Sanitation District Board of Directors, the supervisors will hear a presentation regarding the potential use of Lake County Special Districts property by the Lake County Rodeo, and consider giving staff direction.
“Members of the rodeo board have approached Special Districts about possibly utilizing District property to host the rodeo on a long-term basis,” said Special Districts Administrator Scott Harter in a memo to the board. “District staff and rodeo board members have made multiple site visits to determine feasibility of the proposal prior to any formal presentation or negotiation. Due diligence has proceeded to the point that it makes sense to approach the Board of Directors to provide an informational presentation and seek consensus of the concept prior to proceeding further with any actions.”
The property in question is in the north Lakeport area, to the northwest of Highway 29 and Whalen Way.
“The Rodeo Board is proposing a multi-use area which would accommodate the rodeo on an annual basis, but also provide the possibility of a public access trail head for equestrian trails, as well as the ability to coordinate with Lake County Animal Care and Control to facilitate large animal sheltering in the event of an emergency,” Harter said.
He said the proposed area is approximately 86 acres out of the district’s 1,186 acres in an area with minimal district infrastructure. “Any proposed use in this area will not negatively impact current or future District operations.”
If the board supports the concept, Harter said district staff intends to begin negotiating a lease with the rodeo board, which “would likely be an interim measure prior to declaring the property surplus and listing if for sale.”
That possibility already has been discussed with County Counsel, which along with the County Administrative Office and the supervisors would be involved in future discussions.
In other business, at 10 a.m. the board will receive a presentation on the Lake County Community Wildfire Protection Plan and consider approving it.
At 1 p.m., the board will hear a presentation on the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Clear Lake Hitch Barriers Removal Project.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: Adopt proclamation designating the week of Oct. 1 to 7, 2023 as National 4-H Week in Lake County.
5.2: Adopt proclamation designating the month of October 2023 as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month in Lake County.
5.3: Adopt proclamation declaring the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Lake County.
5.4: Adopt proclamation designating Oct. 7, 2023, as Ageism Awareness Day.
5.5: Adopt proclamation recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month in Lake County.
5.6: Adopt proclamation designating the month of October 2023 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Lake County.
5.7: (a) Appoint Chief Climate Resiliency Officer Terre Logsdon to the High Road Transition Collaborative Sector Table, as part of the Redwood Region RISE (Resilient Inclusive Sustainable Economy) Community Economic resilience Fund (CERF); and (b) approve Redwood Region RISE Community Economic Resilience Fund High Road Transition Collaborative (HRTC) Collective Partnership agreement letter and authorize the chair or designee to sign.
5.8: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.1, as an extension of an annual agreement; and (b) approve Amendment No. 5 to the contract between county of Lake and Granicus Inc. for agenda management and government transparency services in the amount of $25,154.91, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.9: Approve purchase order for $30,000 grant funding for fiscal year 2023-2024 to 1Team 1Dream and authorize chair to sign.
5.10: Approve agreement between county of Lake and BHC Heritage Oaks Hospital Inc. for acute inpatient psychiatric hospital services and professional services associated with acute inpatient psychiatric hospitalization in the amount of $100,000 for fiscal year 2023-24 and authorize the board chair to sign.
5.11: Second reading, adopt ordinance amending Chapter 5 of the Lake County Code Relating to permitting temporary cannabis processing structures, and amending Chapter 27 of the Lake County Code regarding mitigation fees, and Amending Article 68 of the Zoning Ordinance regarding definitions of temporary building types.
5.12: Approve long distance travel for Judy Garcia, Health Services Program manager, Dean Eichelmann, Emergency Preparedness coordinator, and Christine Hannigan, Emergency Preparedness SSA, to attend the National Healthcare Coalition Preparedness Conference Training in Las Vegas, Nevada, from Nov. 28 to 30, 2023.
5.13: Approve the memorandum of understanding between county of Butte and Lake County for a regional facility use agreement from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2026, for a per diem rate of $175 for each 24-hour day per youth; and authorize the chair to sign the agreement.
5.14: Sitting as the Board of Directors Lake County Watershed Protection District, approve and authorize the Lake County Watershed Protection District to file grant application for the Hitch Habitat Improvement Planning and Assessment for Tule Lake, Scotts Creek and Adobe Creek with the Wildlife Conservation Board in an amount not to exceed $2,591,000.
5.15: Sitting as the Board of Directors Lake County Watershed Protection District, approve the Joint Funding Agreement with US Geological Survey for the annual maintenance of the Kelsey Creek Flow Gauge Station in the amount of $17,860 from Oct. 1, 2023, through Sept. 30, 2024, and authorize the Water Resources director to sign the agreement.
TIMED ITEMS
6.2, 9:07 a.m.: Pet of the Week.
6.3, 9:08 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating the week of Oct. 1 to 7, 2023, as National 4-H Week in Lake County.
6.4, 9:09 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating Oct. 7, 2023, as Ageism Awareness Day.
6.5, 9:10 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating the month of October 2023 as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month in Lake County.
6.6, 9:11 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month in Lake County.
6.7, 9:12 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation declaring the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Lake County.
6.8, 9:13 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating the month of October 2023 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Lake County.
6.9, 9:15 a.m.:Consideration of presentation by Rural County Representatives of California's Senior Vice President Craig Ferguson.
6.10, 10 a.m.: (a) Consideration of presentation of the Lake County Community Wildfire Protection Plan; and (b) consideration of approval of the Lake County Community Wildfire Protection Plan and authorize the chair to sign.
6.11, 11:30 a.m.: Sitting as Lake County Sanitation District Board of Directors, consideration of presentation and direction to staff regarding the potential use of LACOSAN property by the Lake County Rodeo.
6.12, 1 p.m.: Presentation on California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Clear Lake Hitch Barriers Removal Project.
UNTIMED ITEMS
7.2: Consideration of appointments to the Emergency Medical Care Committee.
CLOSED SESSION
8.1: Conference with legal counsel: Decision whether to initiate litigation pursuant to Gov. Code Sec. 54956.9(d)(4): Two potential cases.
8.2: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Government Code section 54956.9 (d)(1): Earthways Foundation, Inc. v. County of Lake, et al .
Email Elizabeth Larson at
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday announced the selection of Laphonza Butler — the president of the nation’s largest organization dedicated to electing women, EMILY’s List — to complete the United States Senate term of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, which runs through 2024.
Butler, a longtime senior adviser to Vice President Kamala Harris, labor leader, and advocate for women and working people, will be the first openly LGBTQ person to represent California in the Senate.
She will also be the first Black lesbian to openly serve in Congress in American history and the second Black woman to represent California in the Senate following Vice President Kamala Harris.
“An advocate for women and girls, a second-generation fighter for working people, and a trusted adviser to Vice President Harris, Laphonza Butler represents the best of California, and she’ll represent us proudly in the United States Senate,” said Gov. Newsom. “As we mourn the enormous loss of Senator Feinstein, the very freedoms she fought for — reproductive freedom, equal protection, and safety from gun violence — have never been under greater assault. Laphonza will carry the baton left by Senator Feinstein, continue to break glass ceilings, and fight for all Californians in Washington D.C.”
Butler comes from a working-class family. Her father — a small-business owner — was diagnosed with a terminal illness and died when Butler was 16 years old. Her mother was the household’s sole provider, working as a classroom aide, a home care provider, a security guard and a bookkeeper to provide for Butler and her two siblings.
With her selection to the Senate, Butler will step down from her role as president of EMILY’s List, where she was the first woman of color and mother to lead the organization.
Prior to joining EMILY’s List, Butler ran political campaigns and led strategy efforts for numerous companies, organizations, and elected leaders — including for Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Butler was a key leader of Vice President Harris's presidential campaign.
For more than a decade, she served as the president of the largest labor union in California — SEIU Local 2015 — a union representing more than 325,000 nursing home and home-care workers throughout the state.
Previously, Butler served as President of SEIU United Long Term Care Workers and also as SEIU’s Property Services Division Director, in which she was responsible for the strategic direction of organizing on behalf of more than 250,000 janitors, security officers, window cleaners, and food service workers across the country.
Butler also served as an SEIU International Vice President and president of the SEIU California State Council.
Butler was the former director of the Board of Governors of the Los Angeles branch of the Federal Reserve System. In 2018, she was appointed to the University of California Board of Regents by Gov. Jerry Brown, where she served until 2021.
She served in various other roles, including as a board member for the National Children’s Defense Fund, BLACK PAC, and the Bay Area Economic Council Institute, and as a fellow for the MIT Community Innovators Lab.
Butler was named a “Champion for Change” by President Barack Obama.
She received a bachelor of arts degree in political science from Jackson State University.
Butler is married to her wife, Neneki, and together they have a daughter, Nylah.
Electric vehicle sales are growing faster than expected around the world, and sales of gas- and diesel-powered vehicles have been falling. Yet, the U.S. government still forecasts an increasing demand for oil, and the oil industry is doubling down on production plans.
Why is that, and what happens if the U.S. projections for growing oil demand are wrong?
I study sustainability and global energy system transformations. Let’s take a closer look at the changes underway.
EVs’ giant leap forward
On Sept. 12, 2023, Fatih Birol, director of the International Energy Agency, an intergovernmental organization that advises the world’s major economies, drew global attention when he wrote in the Financial Times that the IEA is now projecting a global peak in demand for oil, gas and coal by 2030.
The new date was a significant leap forward in time compared with previous estimates that the peak would not be until the 2030s for oil and even later for gas. It also stood out because the IEA has typically been quite conservative in modeling changes to the global energy system.
Birol pointed to changes in energy policies and a faster-than-expected rise in clean technologies – including electric vehicles – along with Europe’s shift away from fossil fuels amid Russia’s war in Ukraine as the primary reasons. He wrote that the IEA’s upcoming World Energy Outlook “shows the world is on the cusp of a historic turning point.”
The United Nations also released its “global stocktake” report in early September, assessing the world’s progress toward meeting the Paris climate agreement goals of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) compared with preindustrial temperatures. The report found serious gaps in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by soon after mid-century. However, it noted two bright spots: The world is more or less on track in the growth in solar photovoltaics for renewable energy – and in the growth of electric vehicles.
The dynamics of EV expansion are important because each vehicle that uses electricity instead of gasoline or diesel fuel will depress demand for oil. Even though demand for petroleum products in other sectors, like aviation and petrochemicals, is still increasing, the IEA expects a decline in road transportation’s 50% share of oil consumption to drive an overall peak in demand within a few years.
EVs are now on pace to dominate global car sales by 2030, with fast growth in China in particular, according to analysts at the Rocky Mountain Institute. If countries continue to upgrade their electricity and charging infrastructure, “the endgame for one quarter of global oil demand will be in sight,” they wrote in a new report. As electric trucks become more common, oil demand will likely drop even faster, the analysts wrote.
Global sales of light-duty vehicles already show a decrease in internal combustion – gasoline and diesel – vehicle sales, mainly due to increasing EV sales, but also due to an overall decline in vehicle sales that started even before the pandemic.
So, why is the US projecting oil demand growth?
Based on the data, it appears that global oil demand will peak relatively soon. Yet, major oil companies say they plan to increase their production, and the U.S. Energy Information Administration still projects that global demand for oil and fossil fuels will continue to grow.
Vehicles do last longer today than they did a couple of decades ago, and they are also larger, slowing down efficiency gains. But the Energy Information Administration appears to be lowballing projections for EV growth.
The Biden administration, which pushed through large U.S. tax incentives for EV purchases, has taken steps to clear the way for increasing some oil and natural gas exploration. And large government subsidies continue flowing to fossil fuel industries in many countries. These contradictions undermine the goals of the Paris Agreement and could lead to costly stranded assets.
What do these trends mean for the oil industry?
It’s fair to assume that large industries should have a good handle on future developments expected to affect their fields. But they often have a competing priority to ensure that short-term gains are preserved.
Electric utilities are an example. Most didn’t feel threatened by renewable electricity until penetration expanded quickly in their territories. In response, some have lobbied to hold off further progress and invented spurious reasons to favor fossil fuels over renewables.
Of course, some companies have changed their business models to embrace the renewable energy transition, but these seem to still be in a minority.
Large corporations such as BP and TotalEnergies invest in renewables, but these investments are often offset by equally large investments in new fossil fuel exploration.
Both Shell and BP recently backpedaled on their previous climate commitments in spite of tacit admissions that increasing oil production is inconsistent with climate change mitigation. Exxon’s CEO said in June 2023 that his company aimed to double its U.S. shale oil production over the next five years.
What is happening in the fossil fuel industry seems to be an example of the so-called “green paradox,” in which it is rational, from a profit-maximization point of view, to extract these resources as quickly as possible when faced with the threat of future decreased market value.
That is, if a company can see that in the future its product will make less money or be threatened by environmental policies, it would be likely to sell as much as possible now. As part of that process, it may be very willing to encourage the building of fossil fuel infrastructure that clearly won’t be viable a decade or two in the future, creating what are known as stranded assets.
In the long run, countries encouraged to borrow to make these investments may be stuck with the bill, in addition to the global climate change impacts that will result.
Extractive industries have known about climate change for decades. But rather than transform themselves into broad-based energy companies, most have doubled down on oil, coal and natural gas. More than two dozen U.S. cities, counties and states are now suing fossil fuel companies over the harms caused by climate change and accusing them of misleading the public, with California filing the latest lawsuit on Sept. 15, 2023.
The question is whether these companies will be able to successfully adapt to a renewable energy world, or whether they will follow the path of U.S. coal companies and not recognize their own decline until it is too late.
Robert Brecha, Professor of Sustainability, University of Dayton
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Dear Lady of The Lake,
We will be visiting our relatives that live on Clear Lake and we have pets. We have an older large lab and a smaller dog and we are wondering if they can safely swim and go into Clear Lake? I have heard stories and sometimes see posts on social media about dog illnesses and death after they visit Clear Lake. Please help us keep our furry friends and family safe!
Thank You,
The Barney family including Cha-Cha and Big Bear (the dogs!)
Dear Barneys,
On behalf of pet owners everywhere, thank you for asking this question! Another big thank you for being such responsible pet owners and being concerned about your pet’s safety.
As pet owners, we know that our pets are basically helpless and we are the ones that have to make the decisions for them to keep them safe and healthy. Furry friends are extended members of the family, and when they get hurt or are sick, we feel for them.In some cases, people don’t have kids - they just have cats or dogs!
It’s great that you are taking care of your fur family and making sure they are safe when recreating on Clear Lake - or any natural water body.
You might be surprised, but in my day job, I get about the same number of phone calls about pets and water safety as I receive about people and water safety. I also have many friends who regularly take their pets out on lakes and streams, and they call or text me to report local conditions and to ask questions about water quality.
The biggest concern for pet owners when recreating on Clear Lake is potential toxicity from cyanobacteria, or harmful algal blooms (HABs). Sometimes cyanobacteria are called blue-green algae, and they can sometimes produce green globs, thick mats, or clumps and films that can appear bright green, blue, teal, white, purplish, or red. Sometimes the cyanobacteria just makes the water thick, like pea soup, and sometimes they appear on the surface of the water in thick streaks, with paint-like films.
Cyanobacteria are single celled organisms that float in the water column. They can not be seen with the naked eye unless they reproduce into such large numbers that you can see them as colonies or globs floating in the water, called blooms. When you look closely, you can identify if they are globular or sometimes they look like small shards or irregularly shaped clumps.
Some genera of cyanobacteria can produce toxins, grouped together called cyanotoxins, that can be a health hazard to pets, children, livestock, wildlife, or people, depending on the exposure route, duration, and the toxin type.
First, let's define and discuss these terms:
Exposure route is defined as the pathway that contaminants can enter the body, including dermal, inhalation, and ingestion. To put it plainly, exposure can occur directly through the skin, breathing in water particles that contain toxins, or through consumption, like eating and drinking.
Duration refers to the time the exposure to the toxins occurred. So how long or short was the pet in the water when they could have been exposed. Duration might also include how long the pet was wet before being rinsed or bathed, after they got out of the water where they got exposed.
Toxin type, refers to the type of compounds that comprise the toxin that is produced by some cyanobacteria. They are named for their toxicological target, or what part of the body they impact, and include hepatotoxins, neurotoxins, cytotoxins, dermatotoxins, and irritant toxins. Neurotoxins, which can affect the nervous system, are more concerning than irritant toxins or dermatotoxins, which might only cause a rash or itching.
Cyanobacteria affect humans and animals differently; some people and pets are more or less sensitive to a certain type of cyanobacteria, or not at all. They are sometimes like allergies, where the response can be negligible, mild, or severe and cause sickness.
You might not know how a pet will react to water conditions, meaning that just because someone else’s dog is swimming and playing in the water and seems fine, doesn’t necessarily mean your dog will have the same reaction or non-reaction. It’s best to know how and when to identify if a water body is undergoing a potentially toxic bloom event and what to do in case your pet becomes exposed.
Recognizing blooms and knowing when the water is safe for pets
If you are accessing a public beach or park on the water, make sure to be aware of any posted signs, permanent or temporary, that could contain useful and current information about blooms being detected in the area. If you are unsure of conditions, you can always call an Environmental Health, Public Health, or Water Resources office, to get more information or get directed to where you can find more information.
Not all waters have cyanobacteria blooms that produce toxins, and cyanobacteria blooms that produce toxins are not present all the time throughout a season or a year. Clear Lake is a very big lake, and blooms can be present in some areas and during some times of the year while not present in others.
Cyanobacteria are usually single-cellular and can form colonies and dense mats at the surface of the water due to buoyant chambers some genera produce. The buoyancy characteristics of cyanobacteria means they can make themselves float at the surface of the water, usually in dense colonies. Cyanobacteria, when they grow in dense colonies can look like globs or mats or even look like spilled light blue or even white paint!
Need help identifying a bloom, mat, aquatic plants, or foam? Refer to this California Water Board HAB and Non-HAB visual guide.
Usually there are parts of the lake where there are no cyanobacteria present, and pets can enjoy the water. You can usually physically see - or smell! - when there is a problematic bloom, but unfortunately, toxins can be present sometimes when there is not a visible bloom. However, this doesn’t occur that often, and keeping your pet out of water that is questionable is the best, safest course of action.
A general good rule of thumb to follow is; “when in doubt, keep them out!”. If you wouldn’t swim in the water, then your pet should probably also not go in.
Of course, the best method to determine if an area of the Lake has toxins is through water monitoring and lab analysis. The Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians EPA department monitors about 20 locations around the lake every two weeks Spring through Fall. They collect samples from the shallow, shoreline area, where people and pets are most likely going to be accessing the water.
You can view the most recent cyanobacteria monitoring data here, at the Big Valley Rancheria Cyanotoxin webpage.
The San Francisco Estuary Institute also has a really species satellite tool that maps the cyanobacteria present in the lake over the last 10-day period based on pigments. This tool does not reflect toxins, but it’s usually a good indicator of general good and bad places around the lake.
While this information is extremely useful for humans, the recommendations for safe recreation thresholds of cyanotoxin concentrations in samples are based on the science for adult, male, humans - not pets or animals!
Since pets, usually dogs, are much smaller than humans, smaller concentrations or smaller exposure time, might lead to sickness when a human would not be impacted.
Additionally, humans know not to drink the lake water, but dogs don’t know that, and would probably like the taste of green, globby water if given a choice.
Lastly, and obviously, humans don’t lick themselves after being in the Lake, but guess who does? Man’s best friend can become exposed to toxins that remain on wet fur after the dog has left the water.
If you are at a water access site, in Clear Lake, or any natural waterbody, and you notice a bloom, play it safe and assume it is producing toxins. Don’t let your pets drink the water, or play in the water, don’t let livestock eat near the lake shore, as grass that has been irrigated or splashed with lake water could be covered with live toxins.
Don’t let dogs or pets eat the bloom mats or any dead animals or trash that is in the water or near the water's edge, and lastly, don’t let dogs lick their fur after they get out of the water, until they have been rinsed or washed with clean, filtered or tap water.
What to do if your pet has been in the water or been exposed?
As pet owners we know that pets don’t always listen to us and they sometimes run off and do things out of our line of vision. That’s why it’s good to be prepared in the event that your pet does come into contact with the water. There are some easy, free things you can do to reduce and limit the chance of them becoming exposed or sick from exposure to cyanobacteria toxins.
Make sure your pet is hydrated and has lots of clean, drinking water options. There are several types of water bottle- bowl contraptions that travel well that make it fun for dogs to drink clean water on the go, so they are less likely to be extremely thirsty and gulp lake water.
You don’t need a fancy drinking water bowl, a clean poop-clean up bag will work as a bowl if needed in a pinch! The goal is to limit the potential for your pet to want to drink the lake water, so give your pet fresh water as much as possible prior to and during water play.
Bring lots of clean water so you can rinse off your pet after they have played or waded in the lake. Rinsing with clean water and drying with a clean towel, rug, or blanket, is the best option for removing the toxins from the wet fur. Once you get home, a more thorough wash or plunge in a clean pet pool will remove any remaining toxin and prevent any skin irritations that were initially unobvious.
If you are kayaking or paddle boarding with your pet, these activities greatly reduce the exposure potential for pets, however if they fall in or lean over to drink the water, they will be exposed and become susceptible to any toxins present.
Some dogs love to swim and can inadvertently drink the water they are swimming in. Providing your pooch a life vest or float shirt will help keep their head raised above the water, and they will be less likely to ingest lake water. This is also helpful to prevent a tired pet from being in the water longer, increasing exposure. If they are wearing a life vest, they can swim easier to shore and will be spending less time in the water.
And lastly, if you think your pet has been exposed and is becoming sick or ill from being in the water, take them to your veterinarian immediately. Make sure to tell the vet that the pet was in a natural water body and exposed to cyanotoxins.
Even if it has been a few days, report all information to the vet so they can make the best diagnosis and start treatment. There are some symptoms that can be treated, but without that knowledge of previous water activities, veterinarians might not be able to help your pet.
Some dogs have died after being in Clear Lake because their owners didn’t wash them off after being in the water and then they waited too long to take them to the vet and didn’t communicate the water activities they were engaged in before falling ill. It’s very sad and unfortunate, and possibly could have been prevented.
Video: “Pet Tips, Cyanobacteria & Water Safety” brought to you by County of Lake, Water Resources Department and partners at Send Rover on Over in Lakeport, CA put together this video PSA to help you keep your pets safe when recreating on natural water bodies like Clear Lake.
Let’s review how to keep your furry friend safe when recreating natural waters!
Be a responsible pet owner! Prevent exposure by limiting where and when your pet goes in the water to places that are free of blooms. Take precautions to limit the impact of toxins if they are present in the water, by following all the easy tips that were provided, including:
• Be aware of local conditions, look for any posted signs or warning notices for the area.
• Keep your pet hydrated, and maintain clean, drinking water options before and during their water play.
• Prevent pets from licking their fur during and when they are done playing.
• Rinse or wash your pet immediately after playing in the water.
• If your pet does appear sick, take them to the vet immediately and communicate to your vet any water activities your pet engaged in even if it has been several days.
If you are not sure what cyanobacteria symptoms look like in pets, there is a useful graphic from the CDC describing how to keep pets safe from cyanobacteria toxicity. Here is the full CDC Pets and Cyanobacteria Blooms webpage, which contains lots of useful information necessary for every pet owner.
More information and how to report a bloom or illness
If you want more information on cyanobacteria, beyond that related to pets, you can visit my previous Lady of the Lake column from July 11,2021, “Concerned about Cyanobacteria in Soda Bay."
If you or your pet become sick from a suspected cyanobacteria bloom or toxin exposure, there is a team at the State Of California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) that wants to know about it and has resources to help you respond, and in some cases can help offset costs for testing. OEHHA can provide specialized guidance that is beyond the resources available at the local level.
To report a health impact from a bloom or cyanobacteria bloom, suspected bloom, from the lake, you can submit a report to OEHHA via the Harmful Algal Bloom Incident Reporting tool, called “Report a Bloom”. You can submit a report here online or by calling their Report a Bloom hotline: 1-844-729-6466 (toll free).
It takes about a minute to fill it out, but it’s essential that the state receives this information so that they can respond and direct more adequate resources to cyanobacteria management and mitigation.
If you are interested in knowing where reports of blooms are in Clear Lake, or other lakes, you can visit the HAB Incident Reports Map.
I hope this column has helped provide you with the needed information to keep your fur family safe while recreating in lakes, reservoirs, streams, and creeks. For many of us, our pets are a precious extension of our family, and just like we would take care of any human family member, we extend that sentiment to our pets.
Sincerely,
Lady of the Lake
Angela De Palma-Dow is a limnologist (limnology = study of fresh inland waters) who lives and works in Lake County. Born in Northern California, she has a Master of Science from Michigan State University. She is a Certified Lake Manager from the North American Lake Management Society, or NALMS, and she is the current president/chair of the California chapter of the Society for Freshwater Science. She can be reached at