
The more often you swim or wade in contaminated water, the more likely you are to develop symptoms. Itching may last up to a week or more, but will gradually go away. Scratching the areas may result in more infections. Small reddish pimples appear within twelve hours.

Within minutes to days after swimming in contaminated water, you may experience tingling, burning, or itching of the skin.
#SWIMMERS ITCH MICHIGAN SKIN#
tingling, burning, or itching of the skin.What are the signs and symptoms of swimmer's itch? Because these larvae cannot develop inside a human, they soon die. Rather than finding a host bird or mammal, the larvae from an infected snail instead burrows into the nearby swimmer's skin, causing an allergic reaction and rash. Parasite larvae swim in the water in search of a certain aquatic snail. The parasites are passed in the feces of infected birds such as ducks, geese, gulls, swans, and certain aquatic mammals such as muskrats and beavers.

How does water become infested with the parasite? Also, they are less likely to towel dry themselves when leaving the water. Children are most often affected because they tend to swim, wade, and play in the shallow water more than adults. Larvae are more likely to be present in shallow water by the shoreline. Who is at risk for swimmer's itch?Īnyone who swims or wades in natural water may be at risk. Swimmer's itch is found throughout the world and is more frequent during summer months.

Swimmer's itch, also called cercarial dermatitis, appears as a skin rash caused by an allergic reaction to certain parasites found in lakes, rivers, ponds and oceans.
