Department of health warns of swimmer’s itch at Greenwich Point beach
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Department of health warns of swimmer’s itch at Greenwich Point beach
The Greenwich Department of Health is issuing a warning about cases of “swimmer’s itch’ at Greenwich Point beach. The allergic reaction, cercarial dermatitis, is to tiny parasites that are released from snails into fresh and saltwater. Swimmer’s itch presents as an itchy rash with pimples or blisters, according to the Mayo Clinic. It isn’t contagious and cannot be spread from one person to another, the department says.
The allergic reaction, cercarial dermatitis, is to tiny parasites that are released from snails into fresh and saltwater, according to the health department.
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Swimmer’s itch presents as an itchy rash with pimples or blisters, according to the Mayo Clinic.
It isn’t contagious and cannot be spread from one person to another, according to the Greenwich Department of Health.
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Symptoms of swimmer’s itch
Tingling, burning or itching of the skin within minutes or days
Appearance of small reddish pimples on the skin within about 12 hours
Small blisters may occur at the site of the small pimples
The health department warns that scratching can lead to infection.
Treatment
If a rash develops, these are options for relief:
Corticosteroid cream
Cool compresses to the affected area
Bathing in Epsom salts or baking soda
Soak in colloidal oatmeal baths
Applying baking soda paste to the rash
Anti-itch lotion
If you develop an infection after scratching, contact your health care provider immediately.
How to reduce the risk of swimmer’s itch
Towel dry and shower immediately after leaving the bathing water and thoroughly rinse areas beneath the bathing suit.
Check for postings warning of swimmer’s itch when deciding whether to go swimming in the water noting that signs have been posted about swimmer’s itch being reported from the recreation swimming area and being posted at same beach locations as a precautionary measure.
As a precaution, the Greenwich Department of Health has requested that all local beaches post notifications for residents of the possible risk of swimmer’s itch.
If the problem intensifies, the department will consider closing a beach location to swimming.
The Mayo Clinic said swimmer’s itch usually clears within a few days.
Greenwich beachgoers warned of spike in swimmer’s itch cases: ‘It’s not comfortable’
Swimmer’s itch, or cercarial dermatitis, is a condition caused by an allergic reaction to microscopic parasites released from snails. The rash appears as small reddish pimples or blisters that can tingle, burn or itch within days or minutes. 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. The Greenwich Department of Health warned it will consider shutting down beach locations to swimming if the problem continues to grow. The condition is not contagious, the health department said, though scratching can lead to infection. 12 hours later, the rash will subside, but relief measures should be considered.
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.
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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.
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3 The Greenwich Department of Health is warning people swimming at local beaches of a rash called swimmer’s itch. AFP via Getty Images
3 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.
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“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.
3 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.”
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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.”
Greenwich warns of ‘swimmer’s itch’ at town beaches caused by microscopic parasites
Greenwich Health Department warns of “swimmer’s itch” at town beaches. Microscopic parasites that are released from snails into fresh and salt water cause allergic reactions. Small pimples, blisters and an itching sensation are caused by the skin irritation. Bathers who get the skin rash can use cortisone cream, cold towels, baking soda, epsom salt or other home remedies.
GREENWICH – The town Health Department is advising swimmers at Greenwich beaches that “swimmer’s itch,” a skin irritation caused by microscopic parasites, has been reported.
According to Director of Environmental Services Michael Long, several cases of skin rashes have been documented at town beaches in recent days. Signs have now been posted at bathing locales.
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“Although not all persons who came in contact with the parasite develop swimmer’s itch, prolonged contact with waters known to have prompted swimmer’s itch, increase a person’s risk,” Long said. “As a result, children are more susceptible, since they wade in recreational waters for long periods of time and do not towel dry themselves after coming out of the water.”
Microscopic parasites that are released from snails into fresh and salt water cause allergic reactions, which result in small pimples, blisters and an itching sensation. The health department says medical treatment is not necessary, and bathers who get the skin rash can use cortisone cream, cold towels, baking soda, epsom salt or other home remedies to bring down the irritation.
Long advises swimmers to towel off immediately after leaving the water and rinse off with clean water, as prolonged exposure heightens the risk factor.
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“If the problem intensifies, the Department of Health will consider closing a beach location to swimming,” Long said. adding that it was unknown how long the problem will persist.
The arrival of the microorganisms which cause the skin irritation, officially called cercarial dermatitis, has not been documented in Greenwich waters for the past several years.
Greenwich beaches are generally ranked as clean and safe to swim at by an environmental watchdog agency, with some notable exceptions.
Source: https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/swimmers-itch-greenwich-point-beach/3614423/