![]() ![]() If you do get infected, Hanington said, avoid scratching the rash and don’t panic. – Towel off or take a shower after swimming, which might get rid of parasites before they have a chance to penetrate your skin – Splash around and keep moving in the water, as the parasites need time to attach themselves to your body – Consider entering a lake by jumping off a dock into deeper water, where the parasites are less likely to be found – Wear waterproof sunscreen, which can act as a barrier between the parasites and your skin That said, there are ways to significantly reduce your risk of being infected: Since parasites love lurking in vegetated areas among weeds and grass, a strategically placed dock between a swimming area and a weedy area might prevent the parasites from finding their way to swimmers. Many factors influence the likelihood of infection: warm temperatures, favourable wind directions, even a lake’s beach design. Though tracking swimmer’s itch outbreaks is possible, predicting where they will occur is much harder. They’ve received about 160 reports s and expect to receive more through September. Last year there were 180 reports, a total the researchers are on well on track to surpass. ![]() Reports of swimmer’s itch in Alberta are on the rise. The lab also runs a website, swimmersitch.ca, where people can self-report cases and view a current interactive “risk map” of outbreaks. By studying their gene sequences, they can try to differentiate between snail types and eventually better understand where the parasites live. ![]() Hanington and a small team of researchers study swimmer’s itch every year, hoping the more they know about the parasites, the more they can help the public avoid them.ĭonning hip waders and gloves, researchers visit five Alberta lakes every two weeks, plucking between 300-500 snails from the shallow water on each visit.Īfter they bring the snails back to the lab, the scientists take pictures of them, soak them in ethanol, and isolate their DNA. “But we would like to give people information about the ways to reduce their chances of getting infected.” “We don’t want to tell people to not go swimming,” said Patrick Hanington, a professor at the University of Alberta’s School of Public Health. That means a lake with only one or two of the snails could lead to 100 human infections. The parasites are practically invisible in the water, and every lake in Alberta has the potential to be home to the snails that house them.Ī single infected snail can shed thousands of parasites a day. Unfortunately, if you’re planning to swim in a lake this summer, the itch is hard to avoid. They can even get stuck inside a swimming suit, causing maximum discomfort and embarrassment. You might notice red rings around your legs, indicating parasites were floating on the surface of water. The bumpy red rash can appear instantly or take up to a week to develop. But in the summer months, they sometimes mistakenly encounter humans, penetrating our skin and causing an annoying allergic reaction. The parasites that cause the itchy skin infection look for ducks or muskrats to infect in the water. Manage Print Subscription / Tax ReceiptĮDMONTON – Swimmer’s itch happens by accident.
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