Research from 2017-2019 again revolutionized the scientific understanding of Swimmer’s Itch. Our research in the mid-’80s helped define the life-cycle of Swimmer’s Itch on Glen Lake, i.e., one snail species and one bird species. The Glen Lake Association has a 30-plus year effort in the research and management of Swimmer’s Itch. Despite these efforts, numbers of mergansers and cases of swimmer’s itch increased, and we discovered through DNA testing that mergansers were not the exclusive SI hosts we had once thought them to be. We tried to remove and harass the resident mergansers which at the time were thought to be the exclusive avian hosts on our lake from the 1980’s-2019. However, this was the only treatment for more than 30 years, from the 1950s to the 1980s. We tried to kill the snails by copper sulfate treatment, but that was ineffective (snails repopulated after expiration of the two hours of chemical potency). Historically we tried to break the lifecycle of the parasite in one of the two hosts. (NOTE: there are multiple species of parasites that cause Swimmer’s Itch in Michigan.) Cercariae are shed by multiple snail species that are infected by parasites transmitted by avian hosts -such as the Common Merganser, Canada Geese and Mallard ducks. Printable SI Prevention Tips Poster Brief tutorial and history of Swimmer’s ItchĬercarial larva is the parasite that causes Swimmer’s Itch on Glen Lake. For a printable Swimmer’s Itch Prevention Poster click the link below. With your help, we can monitor and track cases of Swimmer’s Itch -and progress in managing it. Check out this informative Swimmer’s Itch Prevention Video on what we learned from our 2017-2019 research and for more details about what you can do! And if you do experience Swimmer’s Itch, please click here to report a case. But there is so much we can do to have our best chance at preventing the itch. using shoreline lake water for small kids to swim more safely and itch free.īe aware that there is never a case, even using all these tactics, that Swimmer’s Itch risk can be reduced to zero. Use a kid friendly wading or “kiddy pool” vs.Use a parasite skimmer (watch the video link below for more info).Do not swim/wade in shallow water without using prevention measures.Do not swim when the wind is blowing onshore.
Swim in the afternoon or early evening vs.
#Swimmers itch lake michigan skin#
We read up on the issue and found that putting on baby oil BEFORE going in the water helped a great deal.
Swimmers itch has been an issue "some" of the years. We've been going to Higgins Lake for the last 8 years or so. Anyone go to any of these lakes on a regular basis? Is swimmer's itch really that prevalent? Do all the inland lakes experience this, or do some have more problems than others? Does it matter what time of the year and what side of the lake?Īlso, feel free to toss in any general comments on these or other similar lakes. All seem very nice, however I keep reading more and more about swimmers itch. Started looking at Glen Lake, Crystal Lake, Lake Charlevoix. This year we are planning on an inland lake with warmer water, but being close enough to a public lake Mich beach would be ideal. For the past 6-7 years we have always stayed on or near lake Michigan, from Saugatuck to Frankfort. We are Planning to rent a cottage on a lake in northern Michigan this summer for our annual vacation.
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