If the itching becomes severe, a pharmacist may be able to recommend some creams or lotions to help. It is not contagious however, and the symptoms can last for a few days up to several weeks. Some symptoms include the tingling, burning or itching of the skin, small reddish pimples and small blisters. If a person comes into contact with swimmer's itch, symptoms begin within 24 hours. Snails carry the organism too, so if there are weeds or other debris near shore, there's a possibility that there are snails around also. Be sure to keep beaches clean of weeds and other debris that washes ashore. The organism drifts to shallow water near the shoreline, so it's best to avoid wading or playing in shallow water. If possible, swim from a raft or boat farther out in the water. Toweling off immediately after swimming helps avoid this scenario.
The organism needs water to live, when water starts evaporating off the skin, it burrows in to survive. Stop feeding any geese or ducks near the dock. However, an important fact to consider is that the critter starts out in the intestinal lining of waterfowl, mostly ducks. The organism that causes swimmer's itch has a complicated life history. To prevent it dont let your kids swim until the afternoon you are more likely to get it in the am. They can carry the adult form of the organism, so it is better if they aren't hanging around public beaches. Almost all lakes in central minnesota have swimmers itch. Do not encourage waterfowl to hang around beaches. The DNR offers the following tips to minimize the likelihood of getting swimmer's itch: This behavior makes it easy for them to be moved around the lake, and tends to concentrate their numbers along the shoreline. The cercaria only lives for a day or so and typically inhabits the upper few inches of water, which increases its chances of coming into contact with a duck, its host. The life stage that causes swimmer's itch is called a "cercaria" which is an immature stage of a blood fluke common in waterfowl, according to the DNR. Much like poison ivy, the more times you come in contact with the organism that carries swimmer's itch, the more likely the chances are that you will get it. Each summer as lake water temperatures rise, some swimmers begin to get the itch - swimmer's itch, that is.Ī few reports have been made in the Park Rapids area already but there are no "hot spots," said Edie Evarts, Assistant Area Fisheries Supervisor for the Department of Natural Resources in Park Rapids.Īccording to the Department of Natural Resources, only 30-40 percent of people are sensitive to swimmer's itch.
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