It is free-swimming but non-feeding and survives for about a day. What hatches out of the egg is the aquatic larval stage (miracidium) of the parasite. Eggs are passed into the water via feces, where they can hatch within an hour under favorable conditions. The adult parasite lives in the waterfowl host, then passes along its eggs to the bird’s digestive tract. The two-month life cycle involves two hosts - a bird and a snail. The culprit of swimmer’s itch is the larval stage of a parasitic blood fluke that occurs naturally in most lakes. Cases lasting several days should been seen by a dermatologist. A mild over-the-counter antihistamine or corticosteroid cream can provide relief, or you may want to try soaking in a bath with Epsom salts, baking soda, or oatmeal. Children tend to get more than their fair share of the itch because they usually swim more, may have more sensitive skin than adults, and may have a harder time overcoming the urge to scratch. It’s characterized by red bumps (known as papules) that look like bad mosquito bites. The itch usually occurs within two to seven days after exposure in the water. Known technically as cercarial dermatitis, swimmer’s itch is that annoying skin rash you can get from swimming in some lakes. Understanding how it happens will help you avoid it. Fortunately, we don’t get the truly nasty forms of swimmer’s itch found in tropical areas, but it can get in the way of what should be an enjoyable time at the lake. Nothing can spoil summer in Minnesota quite like a case of swimmer’s itch.
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