Norwegian health institute issues parasite warning to swimmers
Those looking to cool off in freshwater lakes in Norway this summer have been warned by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health about a parasite which can cause severe rashes, diarrhoea and fever.
The Norwegian Institute of Public Health has warned swimmers of the risk of cercarial dermatitis, otherwise known as swimmer's itch, this summer.
The disease is caused by a parasite which gets under the skin when swimming in freshwater. The parasite, a type of flatworm, dies a few millimetres inside the skin as it cannot survive in the human body.
The initial symptoms of the disease are a rash caused by an allergic reaction to the parasite.
"Not everyone reacts to the parasites, but some get severe rashes, diarrhoea and fever," senior researcher Arnulf Soleng at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health told Norwegian broadcaster TV 2.
Soleng added that while the disease is troublesome, it isn't life-threatening.
Swimmer's itch occurs when the parasite forces its way out of snails to infect the feet of birds in the water. When people are swimming or standing in water, the parasite can latch onto humans instead.
The risk is greatest when the water is warmer than 15-20 degrees. Water temperatures have increased fairly rapidly in recent weeks.
"One should expect the parasite to flourish," Professor Lucy Robertson, who works at the Department of Food Safety and Infectious Biology, told TV 2.
The Norwegian Institute of Public Health says that swimming in deep water, drying yourself as soon as you leave the water and rinsing off with a shower after being in fresh water reduces the chances of catching swimmers' itch.
Avoiding areas with snails is also another preventative step that swimmers can take.
Norway's public health institute has an overview of all the waters in which a case of swimmers itch has been discovered. Some locations have only had one single case reported since 1980.
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The Norwegian Institute of Public Health has warned swimmers of the risk of cercarial dermatitis, otherwise known as swimmer's itch, this summer.
The disease is caused by a parasite which gets under the skin when swimming in freshwater. The parasite, a type of flatworm, dies a few millimetres inside the skin as it cannot survive in the human body.
The initial symptoms of the disease are a rash caused by an allergic reaction to the parasite.
"Not everyone reacts to the parasites, but some get severe rashes, diarrhoea and fever," senior researcher Arnulf Soleng at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health told Norwegian broadcaster TV 2.
Soleng added that while the disease is troublesome, it isn't life-threatening.
Swimmer's itch occurs when the parasite forces its way out of snails to infect the feet of birds in the water. When people are swimming or standing in water, the parasite can latch onto humans instead.
The risk is greatest when the water is warmer than 15-20 degrees. Water temperatures have increased fairly rapidly in recent weeks.
"One should expect the parasite to flourish," Professor Lucy Robertson, who works at the Department of Food Safety and Infectious Biology, told TV 2.
The Norwegian Institute of Public Health says that swimming in deep water, drying yourself as soon as you leave the water and rinsing off with a shower after being in fresh water reduces the chances of catching swimmers' itch.
Avoiding areas with snails is also another preventative step that swimmers can take.
Norway's public health institute has an overview of all the waters in which a case of swimmers itch has been discovered. Some locations have only had one single case reported since 1980.
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