The French Regional Park staff spent one of its allotted treatments in May, but the swimmer's itch problem returned. But the DNR allows only two copper sulfate treatments per season per beach. Once enough complaints surface, city and county officials move to treat the lakes by using copper sulfate to target the snails and the larvae form of the parasite. "You get more people in the water, so there is more exposure." ![]() "You get these 90-degree days, and everybody wants to be in the water," McBride said. Reports of swimmer's itch often increase with hot, sticky days. "Your body encapsulates it, grabs hold of it, and it itches like no tomorrow." Heat-activated "These parasites grab onto people," explained Shane McBride, a DNR aquatic plant management specialist. So is the can't-stop-scratching feeling that can last for days or even weeks. Some people show no signs of swimmer's itch.īut for those unlucky souls who do, the symptoms can be quite annoying - though ultimately harmless. Not everyone who comes in contact with the parasite reacts. But the itching is already underway, spurred by the body's immune system. People aren't suitable hosts, and the parasite soon dies. This is when they often come across a human and burrow into the skin. They live inside the snail until it releases them back into the water, where they seek yet another host. The eggs then hatch and the parasites swim around in search of a snail, a second host. The worms lay eggs inside the host animal and the animal excretes the eggs into the lake water. The worm begins in the intestinal lining of water animals such as ducks, geese, beaver and muskrat, according to the Minnesota DNR. The critter responsible for causing the annoying temporary rash is a flatworm with a complex life cycle. “These parasites grab onto people,” said the DNR’s Shane McBride. Other public swimming areas affected by the early outbreak include Coon Lake in Anoka County and Lakeside Beach in Forest Lake, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reported.Ī close-up look at the culprit, schistosomal cercariae. The district recently reopened a swimming beach at French Regional Park after treating the water for the second time this season because of reports of swimmer's itch. ![]() "With the ice going off the lakes earlier this year, everything seems to be ahead of schedule," said Brian Vlach, water resources supervisor for the Three Rivers Park District. The warmer water temperatures jump-started the growing season for lake vegetation - food sources for the parasites and their hosts, namely ducks, geese and snails. Swimmer's itch - also known as "duck itch" or "lake itch" - is plaguing lake-goers earlier than usual this year thanks to an early spring. Microscopic parasites lurking in lake water are out in full force now, capable of causing a skin rash that's itchy, scratchy and just plain ugly. You can't see them when you step out of the water after a swim, but boy, can you feel them later.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |