Red tide that has lingered miles offshore from the Sarasota and Manatee shoreline has been pushed closer to local beaches by a shift in the winds.

A red tide alert has been issued for multiple Tampa Bay area counties, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced Wednesday. Over the past week, the red tide organism Karenia brevis was detected in 55 samples collected in southwest Florida.

A health alert has been issued for multiple beaches in Sarasota County after low to medium levels of red tide were detected.

The reports of red tide are coming from an algae bloom that is more than 100 miles long, stretching along much of the Gulf Coast.

· Red tide can cause illness and death of other animals, such as pets and livestock. Keep animals away and out of the water and sea life and away from dead marine life. If your pet swims in waters with red tide, wash them with soap and water as soon as possible.

A large red tide that bloomed after hurricanes Helene and Milton remains miles offshore from Sarasota and Manatee counties.

Health department urges beachgoers to not swim in affected waters at beaches, including Siesta Key, Lido, Venice and Manasota Key.