Authorities in Uruguay warned on Wednesday about cyanobacteria identified in the basin of the country's main internal river, which endanger the health of livestock and other domestic and wild animals.
“The presence of cyanobacteria blooms has been detected in various bodies of water in the Río Negro basin, particularly in backwater areas, lagoons and reservoirs,” said a joint statement from the Ministries of Environment and of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries.
These blooms, due to their intensity, can generate dangerous toxins (mainly for the nervous and/or digestive system) that, if ingested by the animals, can cause serious intoxications and even death,” the text noted.
Río Negro, which crosses Uruguay from east to west, begins in Brazil and flows into the Río Uruguay, bordering Argentina. Its basin occupies some 68,200 km², 39% of the country's territory, according to data cited in a 2021 scientific study that already warned of toxic cyanobacteria blooms in the area.
Authorities on Wednesday recommended monitoring water quality and preventing animals from consuming the water in affected areas.
Cyanobacteria, microorganisms also known as blue-green algae, “proliferate in conditions of high temperature and nutrients, especially in stagnant or poorly renewed water,” the statement said, adding that this has been associated with the current austral summer and low rainfall.
“There are no antidotes for cyanotoxins, so prevention is the most effective measure,” the text stressed.
Uruguay, an eminently agricultural country, has 3.4 million inhabitants and 12 million cattle.
— Times/AFP
