Water at Sand Hollow reached 80 degrees Monday, making it prime environment for the free-swimming microscopic parasite to flourish that, and the surrounding alkaline soil, Department of Natural Resources Park Manager Laura Melling said. Swimmer’s Itch is currently active at Sand Hollow Reservoir. Swimmer’s itch cannot be spread from person-to-person, and a swimmer is highly unlikely to get swimmer’s itch from a swimming pool as long as the pool is well maintained and chlorinated. And, much like poison ivy, your sensitivity to swimmer’s itch will increase with each exposure. While some people may show no symptoms of swimmer’s itch, others swimming at the same time and place may break out severely. The itching and welts are not caused by the organism living under your skin, but by an allergic reaction. Your body’s immune system detects the organism as a foreign protein, then attacks and kills it shortly after it penetrates your skin. The good news is, because these larvae cannot develop inside a human, they soon die. Swimmer’s itch is found throughout the world and is more frequent during summer months. This is where they come in contact with people and burrow into their skin, causing an allergic reaction and rash.
The Centers for Disease Control describes swimmer’s itch, or “cercaria,” as a skin rash that is caused by an allergic reaction to microscopic parasites that are carried by waterfowl, semi-aquatic mammals and snails.Īs a part of their life cycle, these parasites are released by infected snails into the water. George News Facebook page J| Photo courtesy of Sonja Ceja, St. ,” Sonja Ceja wrote in a comment thread on St. “Not everyone gets the swimmers itch but my poor son did. Swimmer’s itch is not life-threatening and there are preventive measures you can take allowing you to enjoy the water. In the future, towel off vigorously post-swim, since the larvae don’t try to burrow under your skin until you’re out of the water.SOUTHERN UTAH – If you’re like many people, there is nothing more inviting on a hot summer day than taking a drive out to the lake and dipping into the glistening water … except for one irritating parasite in some waters that thrives and writhes when the shallows get warm, resulting in swimmer’s itch, an irritating and sometimes painful skin rash caused by microscopic parasites.
The reaction will go away on its own, but if you scratch too much, you could cause a secondary infection. Treat it with oatmeal baths, cool compresses, anti-itch medication, antihistamines or, if you’re desperate, a prescription cream. Peak itchiness sets in about two or three days after exposure and can last a week. The rash starts out as a prickling sensation minutes after you leave the water, then small, itchy, red bumps like mosquito bites appear, usually within 12 to 24 hours. Good job, immune system! Except now you itch like crazy. Our bodies see them as foreigners and hit them with antibodies, which is a healthy sign. Don’t worry, the parasites only successfully use waterfowl and marine mammals as hosts and aren’t dangerous. Those red papules are your body’s defence after the larvae of parasitic schistosome trematodes burrow into your skin. Since cercarial dermatitis-swimmer’s itch-behaves like an allergic reaction, you can’t get rid of it, but you can treat the symptoms until the reaction subsides. Any tips on getting rid of swimmer’s itch? And how do you prevent it?