When researchers in the UF Center for Emerging Pathogens analyzed U.S. public health data from 1999-2010, they determined that contamination from cyanobacterial blooms is a potential risk factor for non-alcoholic liver disease. They superimposed satellite maps of U.S. areas covered by cyanobacterial blooms over a map of clusters of non-alcoholic liver disease, and a statistical analysis revealed that bloom coverage was a significant factor influencing the rate of non-alcoholic liver diseases. The study shows a possible association but not a causal one. Other studies are needed to more accurately assess the risk.
Written by Dorothy Zimmerman
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