Human Cercarial Dermatitis (HCD) or Swimmer’s Itch Along Rivers and Lakes

During late summer in 1995 to 1997, repeated outbreaks of maculopapular skin eruptions were noted on the legs of children after wading in the pond in the Family Park in Laugardalur, Reykjavík, Iceland. Clinical symptoms developing on the legs resembled those of cercarial dermatitis. An examination ofLymnaea peregrasnails from this pond and from the adjacent Lake Tjornin resulted in detection of previously undescribed schistosome cercariae. This is the first report of schistosomes in Iceland and also the most northern occurrence of these parasites in Europe.

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NOTES ON CERCARIAL DERMATITIS WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF THE CAUSATIVE ORGANISMS, CERCARIA WARDLEI N.SP., CERCARIA BAJKOVI N.SP., AND THE PARTHENOGENIC STAGE OF CERCARIA ELVAE MILLER

Canadian Journal of Research ◽

10.1139/cjr34-037 ◽

1934 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 394-403 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

J. A. McLeod

Keyword(s):

Clear Lake ◽

Cercarial Dermatitis ◽

Swimmer’S Itch ◽

Swimmer's Itch

This paper records an investigation of cercarial dermatitis, commonly known as swimmer's itch or slough itch, observed on bathers in Clear Lake, Manitoba. The infestation is manifest by the presence of erythematous papules and causes severe itching.As a result of a survey for animal parasites in the lake, and experimental infestations with all forms it has been found that the disease may be caused by Cercaria elvae Miller, a brevifurcate distome cercaria, or by either of two pharyngeal longifurcate distome cercariae, Cercaria wardlei n. sp. and Cercaria bajkovi n. sp. Clinical and pathological notes on the disease are given.

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12 Cercarial dermatitis: The swimmer's itch

Clinics in Dermatology ◽

10.1016/s0738-081x(87)80013-5 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 5 (3) ◽

pp. 88-91 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

J. Kevin Baird ◽

Douglas J. Wear

Keyword(s):

Cercarial Dermatitis ◽

Swimmer’S Itch ◽

Swimmer's Itch

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Swimmer’s Itch (Cercarial Dermatitis

EDIS ◽

10.32473/edis-in1200-2018 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2018 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Emma N. I. Weeks ◽

Katherine A. Sayler

Keyword(s):

Skin Rash ◽

Cercarial Dermatitis ◽

Swimmer’S Itch ◽

Swimmer's Itch

Learn how to swim safely and avoid this itchy skin rash in this 3-page document written by Emma N. I. Weeks and Katherine Sayler and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Entomology and Nematology. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1200

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Schistosomes in the southwest United States and their potential for causing cercarial dermatitis or ‘swimmer's itch’

Journal of Helminthology ◽

10.1017/s0022149x09308020 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 83 (2) ◽

pp. 191-198 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

S.V. Brant ◽

E.S. Loker

Keyword(s):

New Mexico ◽

Morphological Traits ◽

Inflammatory Responses ◽

Sequence Data ◽

Upper Midwest ◽

Genetic Lineages ◽

Cercarial Dermatitis ◽

The Family ◽

Swimmer’S Itch ◽

Swimmer's Itch

AbstractCercarial dermatitis or swimmer's itch results when cercariae of schistosomes penetrate human skin and initiate inflammatory responses. The parasites typically die in the skin but in some cases may persist and infect other organs. Cercarial dermatitis is caused by a complex and poorly known assemblage of schistosome species, and can occur in any location where people come in contact with water bodies harbouring schistosome-infected snails. In North America, most cases are reported from the upper Midwest. In south-western USA, this phenomenon has not been well studied, and it is not known which schistosome species are present, or if cercarial dermatitis occurs with any regularity. As part of our ongoing studies of schistosome diversity, using morphological traits and sequence data to differentiate species, we have thus far identified eight schistosome genetic lineages from snails from New Mexico and Colorado. We have investigated two cercarial dermatitis outbreaks, one occurring in Stubblefield Lake in northern New Mexico, and one in Prospect Lake in the heart of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The New Mexico outbreak involved either one or two different avian schistosome species, both transmitted by physid snails. The Colorado outbreak was due to Trichobilharzia brantae, a species transmitted by geese and the snail Gyraulus parvus. These outbreaks are in contrast to those in northern states where schistosomes infecting snails of the family Lymnaeidae are more often responsible for outbreaks. Our survey suggests that dermatitis-causing schistosomes are not rare in the southwest, and that there are plenty of opportunities for dermatitis outbreaks to occur in this region.

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Geographical distribution of cercarial dermatitis in Norway

Journal of Helminthology ◽

10.1017/s0022149x10000672 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 85 (3) ◽

pp. 345-352 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

A. Soleng ◽

R. Mehl

Keyword(s):

Geographical Distribution ◽

Sea Water ◽

Case Reports ◽

Infected Snail ◽

Cercarial Dermatitis ◽

First Case ◽

Swimmer’S Itch ◽

Swimmer's Itch ◽

Southern Norway ◽

Almost All

AbstractBird schistosomes can cause a disease called cercarial dermatitis, or swimmer's itch, in humans. The disease occurs when people have direct contact with fresh water or sea water containing the free-swimming cercariae of the flukes. The symptoms are well known, and include intense itching, maculae, papulae, urticariae and, in some cases, local oedema with enlarged lymph nodes and fever. In this study, we present the geographical distribution of freshwater cercarial dermatitis in Norway. The study is based on random reports obtained from both individuals and physicians treating patients with itching skin rash after freshwater bathing. The first case of cercarial dermatitis in Norway was reported in 1980 and was traced to a lake near Trondheim in the central part of Norway. In the following years, an increasing number of cases were reported, especially in southern Norway. However, case reports are distributed almost all over the country, even from lakes in northern Norway. As far as we know, these are the northernmost case reports in Europe. So far, only one fluke species (Trichobilharzia franki) from a single infected snail (Radixauricularia) has been identified in Norway. However, unidentified schistosomatid ocellate cercariae have been found on several occasions in snails collected from six lakes where swimmer's itch is frequently reported. Future studies should be performed to identify the fluke species, as well as the most important snail and bird hosts, in Norwegian lakes.

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