Freshwater Solutions has studied Walloon Lake, Lake Charlevoix, Elk Lake, Skegemog Lake, Long Lake, Lake Leelanau, Lime Lake, and Glen Lake since 2018 using qPCR analysis to measure schistosome cercariae levels in the water. Numerous species of schistosome are capable of causing swimmer's itch in Michigan. qPCR is a method used to look for DNA and it is so sensitive that it can even distinguish between different species of schistosomes that cause Swimmers Itch. Understanding this lifecycle is critical to developing effective strategies to eliminate Swimmers Itch from lakes. In spite of these limitations, they still manage to get the job done. Their head can be easily disrupted from their forked tail. They are not very strong swimmers and are quite fragile. Most of them are released in the early morning and the number of them actively swimming drops as the day progresses. Because cercariae do not have any way to feed, they rarely live longer than a day.
#Swimmers itch on feet skin
Cercariae are released, often by multiple snails at the same time and are designed like a microscopic torpedo, 1/80th of an inch long, with a singular objective: Find a host bird and penetrate their skin so it can continue its life cycle. Once inside the snail, it develops further into a cercariae.
That miracedium has about 24 hours to find and attach to the proper snail host before it runs out of energy and dies. The eggs hatch within an hour in the water and liberate a miracedium. Parasite eggs are released from the birds in their feces.
The schistosome that causes swimmers itch has two hosts that it cycles between, birds and snails. That is why the PLIA contracted with Freshwater Solutions to study the prevalence of the culprit, a schistosome, in Platte Lake. The rash is called a cercarial dermatitis, commonly known as Swimmers Itch.Īlthough the medical problem caused by Swimmers Itch in humans is only skin deep, it can be a real nuisance and even affect your property values. It was trying to find a key host in its life cycle, a bird and most likely a merganser. You and your family were the unintended target of a small parasite called a schistosome. They now are covered in dozens of red, raised bumps on their legs and feet. Your children just spent the day swimming on your beach. Understanding Swimmers Itch in Platte Lake The findings of that study were presented at the AugPLIA Annual Meeting. Patrick Hannington of the University of Alberta. That study was performed by Ron Reimink of Freshwater Solutions working with Dr. In 2019 we expanded our efforts to understand/control/limit incidents of swimmers itch by commissioning a study to determine the root cause of swimmers itch in Platte Lake via DNA analysis of snails, bird droppings, swimmer's itch parasites, etc. Blankespoor from Swimmer Itch Solutions to do an analysis of swimmers itch activity at five key locations around the lake. All of these seemed potentially important in determining if a lake can be infected with swimmer itch. In 20 we participated in a study on swimmers itch with researchers from Oakland University who studied our lake for algae, chemicals, phosphorus, pesticides, snail colonies, zebra mussels and crayfish. PLIA has been studying swimmers itch since 2016.
Platte Lake has swimmers itch, but it has historically been at very low level. The organization is concerned about anything that can alter the quality of the lake and that includes keeping an eye on swimmers itch. The ongoing surveillance of Platte Lake by the PLIA is not limited to simply monitoring phosphorus levels.
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