Other ways to reduce your risk when swimming in potentially infested waters include applying waterproof sunscreen before swimming and rinsing off and toweling dry afterwards, according to the CDC. The snails host the parasites as they multiply and develop, but eventually they excrete another form of larvae that can cause an allergic reaction in humans. Wading in marshy areas along the shoreline could further increase your risk as you creep into snail breeding grounds.
#Swimmers itch rash skin
The eggs then hatch tiny larvae that immediately seek a new host: a specific type of aquatic snail. Swimmers itch, also called cercarial dermatitis, appears as a skin rash caused by an allergic reaction to certain microscopic parasites that infect some birds and mammals. The parasite thrives in their bloodstreams and releases its eggs in their feces. Humans are not meant to come into contact with the parasite, which infects birds and mammals that live near the water. The parasite that causes swimmer's itch is more likely to be present in warm, shallow water, so children are more likely to be infected compared with adults. While the possibility of swimmer's itch shouldn't keep you from exploring natural bodies of water this summer, there are a few steps you can take to reduce your risk.Īvoid swimming spots that are known to be contaminated with any type of parasite, as some water-dwelling organisms can cause infections far more dangerous than swimmer's itch. Use corticosteroid cream (available over-the-counter).Īpply cool compresses to the affected areas. The CDC recommends using anti-itch creams or home remedies to relieve the itch, including the following tips: Scratching at the rash, however itchy it may be, increases the risk that the area will become infected with a more dangerous bacteria. The clinic recommends seeking medical care if the bumps linger for more than a few days or develop pus. If left alone to heal, the rash will clear up within a week, according to Mayo Clinic. arms and legs) is most commonly affected. Exposed skin not covered by a swimsuit (ie. The welts might look like bug bites, except they show up en masse minutes or days after a swim in untreated water. Symptoms of swimmer's itch may include tingling, burning, or itchy skin with small red bumps or blisters, according to the CDC. Reagan Caussey, 19, of Dallas developed swimmers itch, an allergic reaction to a microscopic parasite, after paddle boarding in Lady Bird Lake with two friends in May. Swimmer's itch is uncomfortable but mostly harmless If you do contract swimmer's itch, most cases can be resolved with home remedies, like over-the-counter corticosteroid cream or Epsom salt baths. Many local health departments manage reports of swimmer's itch by posting signs around bodies of water where people have contracted it. To prevent swimmer's itch, avoid swimming in warm, marshy waters where ducks and other waterfowl could be infected with the parasite. The more you swim in contaminated waters, the more intense and immediate the rash will be. But with repeated exposures, the immune system learns to recognize and respond to the threat, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The parasite doesn't affect humans in the long term, as the larvae die shortly after entering the body. If the parasite larvae gets under your skin, it can cause an itchy but otherwise benign rash.
The infection may trigger a minor allergic reaction after repeated exposures.Ĭases of swimmer's itch occur every year, usually in early summer when the water is warmest. The rash, which can appear as small red bumps on the skin, is caused by microscopic parasites that reproduce in lakes, ponds, and oceans. The parasite thrives in water-dwelling birds, mammals, and snails, but it sometimes infects humans by mistake. Another showed the rash she had got from swimming in Barton Springs, also in Austin.Swimmer's itch is a rash caused by a common parasite found in lakes and oceans.
Swimmer's itch has also been recorded on social media by swimmers in other bodies of water, with one TikTok posted in May showing a woman who had got the condition after swimming in Lady Bird Lake, Austin, Texas. They can be treated with itching relief creams like corticosteroids, or with the use of cool compresses, but the rash will gradually go away, similarly to an insect bite reaction. Infestation of Tongue-Eating Parasites Discovered in Fish ShipmentĪccording to the CDC, if you come into contact with some schistosome larvae, your skin may begin to itch or burn anywhere between a few minutes to a day after leaving the water, with "small reddish pimples" appearing within twelve hours that may get infected if scratched too vigorously.Invasive Blood-Sucking Lampreys Are About To Spawn in Great Lakes.Climate Change May Be Causing Skin Tumors On Antarctic Fish.Giant Snails Carrying Meningitis Are Causing Concern in Florida.
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