'It’s not comfortable'
Residents in Connecticut’s ritzy town of Greenwich have been warned of an uptick in cases of swimmer’s itch stemming from the local beaches.
The Greenwich Department of Health sounded the alarm in a Monday notice posted online, informing the public that numerous “episodes” of the skin rash have been traced to “several” of the town’s beaches.
Also called cercarial dermatitis, the condition is caused by an allergic reaction to microscopic parasites released from snails into bodies of water like lakes, ponds and oceans, the health department said.
Swimmer’s itch appears as a skin rash that can tingle, burn or itch within days or even minutes with small reddish pimples showing up on skin in about 12 hours, the health department said.
Tiny blisters can also occur where the pimples are, officials said.
The condition is not contagious, according to the health department. Humans are also not the preferred host for the parasites, though are more likely to catch it the longer they wade in the water.
The Greenwich Department of Health is warning people swimming at local beaches of a rash called swimmer’s itch. AFP via Getty Images
The rash appears as small reddish pimples or blisters that can tingle, burn or itch within days or minutes. Youtube/@abc7NY
“The urge to scratch will present itself; however, scratching can lead to infection,” the health department stated. “Itching will subside in a short period of time, but relief measures should be considered.
One out-of-town resident who visited a Greenwich beach Monday with six relatives, including kids, said she would have changed her plans if she knew about the itchy issue sooner.
“We’ve got a lot of kids here and obviously don’t want to deal with any medical issues, especially on vacations,” Lauren Boccardi told ABC 7.
Swimmer’s itch, or cercarial dermatitis, is a condition caused by an allergic reaction to microscopic parasites released from snails. CDC
Greenwich resident Ann Baldwin recalled her previous irritating experience with swimmer’s itch.
“I had it a couple of years ago and it’s not comfortable,” Baldwin told the TV station. “You got to be respectful of nature.”
Home remedies for those who catch it include bathing in Epsom salts or baking soda or soaking in colloidal oatmeal, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Baking soda paste, anti-itch lotion and corticosteroid cream can also be applied to the affected area on the skin.
The health department warned it will consider shutting down beach locations to swimming if the problem continues to grow.
“Many factors must be present for Swimmer’s Itch to become a problem in swimming water,” the department said. “Since these factors change and cannot be tested for, it is not known how long the water will be affected.”
Source: New York Post
