#Swimmers itch florida skin

Lumpy skin lesions resembling early stage of chickenpox, is a result of penetration by cercariae of bird schistosomes, and the number and size of bubbles depend on the number of penetrating larvae (Żbikowska 2003). It occurs in people bathing or wading in ponds populated by snails infected with bird schistosome larvae. 2010) in the form of painful, then itchy lumpy rash (Żbikowska et al. It reveals an allergic skin reaction (Kolářová et al. 1985 Blankespoor and Reimink 1988 Loken et al. 1949 Jarcho and van Burkalow 1952 Macy 1952 Hoeffler 1974 Leedom and Short 1981 Eklu–Natey et al. In view of the real risk of people using the waters, tests on presence of the parasites in snail hosts should be included to the standard procedure of security control in bathing places.Ĭercarial dermatitis called swimmers’ itch has been listed for several years in human populations around the world (Cort 1936 Hunter et al. As indicated by the example presented, anthropogenic reservoirs create excellent conditions for Digenea species including bird schistosomes. It is worth underlining that despite the low prevalence of bird schistosomes, the high number of released cercariae was sufficient to create a real threat of swimmers’ itch in bathers.

Laboratory tests have shown that at 19 ☌ the number of bird schistosome cercariae released from snail hosts significantly exceeded the number of cercariae of other identified Digenea species. The prevalence of bird schistosomes reached 2.9 % in Planorbarius corneus, 2.8 % in Radix auricularia, and 5.9 % in Radix balthica/labiata. The larvae of bird schistosomes were recorded in both localities in 1.8 % of collected snails. Higher prevalence of Digenea was observed in snail populations living in Water Valley (29.8 %) compared to Dzierżęcinka River (21.3 %). Snails belonging to Lymnaeidae and Planorbidae were collected at two sites: (i) part of anthropogenic reservoir (192 individuals) and (ii) the river part (37 individuals). After numerous reports the local press about the “stinging water” in created on the Dzierżęcinka River-Water Valley reservoir and recognizing in bathers the symptoms of swimmers’ itch, environmental study on the presence of bird schistosome larvae in snail hosts was conducted.