Beach danger? new study tracks illness from toxic algae
NCT ID NCT06579170
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This study follows 2,500 people who visit freshwater beaches in Ontario, Manitoba, and Nova Scotia to see if contact with water containing blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) leads to stomach bugs, respiratory issues, or skin/eye infections. Researchers will also track illness in pet dogs. The goal is to understand the real-world health risks from these increasingly common algal blooms.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could provide the first solid data on how often blue-green algae at beaches makes people sick, helping guide public health warnings.
- What could go wrong
- This is an observational study, not a treatment trial. It only measures illness rates and cannot prove cause and effect. Results may vary by beach and year.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 2,500 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jun 2024
- Expected to finish
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Mar 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
Recreational water users of any age, and any pet dogs also present at the beaches/waterfront areas, during the study recruitment days.
- Ages
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Children (under 18), adults (18 to 64) and older adults (65 and over)
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * ability to provide informed consent * ability to complete the surveys in English or French * must not have participated in the study in the past 21 days
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Colchester Beach
Windsor, Ontario, N0R 1G0, Canada
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Grand Beach
Winnipeg, Manitoba, R0E 0T0, Canada
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Kinsmen beach
Port Perry, Ontario, L9L 1R2, Canada
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Shubenacadie Canal
Halifax, Nova Scotia, B2X 2W5, Canada
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