WILLARD BAY SWIMMERS ITCH SKIN

“Willard Bay reached out to us reporting swimmers at The Pond had complained about it and were asking about proper protocols to deal with the condition.” “Signs had been posted at Mantua about Swimmer’s Itch and we posted something on our website last Friday, just to alert the public,” Harker says. Swimming Pool Program Lead at the Bear River Health Department, Ben Harker, said first reports of the rash among swimmers surfaced last week.

WILLARD BAY SWIMMERS ITCH SKIN

Swimmer’s Itch is caused by the parasites most often found during the summer in the shallow water of lakes and ponds.Īlso called cercarial dermatitis, with swimmer’s itch the parasite’s preferred host is a specific bird or mammal, but if it comes into contact with a swimmer, it burrows into the skin causing an allergic reaction and rash. but check current conditions because swimmers itch develops many summers. Other reservoirs where people are getting swimmer’s itch include Sand Hollow, Palisade Lake and the new pond at Willard Bay.FILE PHOTO – Mantua Lake in Box Elder CountyĪn irritating, though harmless rash caused by an allergic reaction to small parasites has been reported at both Mantua Reservoir and what is called ”The Pond” north of the Willard Bay north marina. Sand Hollow is one of Utahs best reservoirs for largemouth and it offers a. Rain scarcity and a weak snowpack last winter have been the main contributing causes to low water levels. The DNR warns that Utah reservoirs are alarmingly low and draining quickly this summer.

So, when there’s less floatable water, there’s more increase of people coming into contact with things like that.” 'Because of the heat and because of less water, in cases of swimmer’s itch, it’s often attached to waterfowl and birds and things like that. “A decrease in overall lake size of water has a couple of different things, like swimmer’s itch,' Chavez said. Officials say people can avoid it by swimming out farther in deeper water.ĭevan Chavez of the Utah Department of Natural Resources said this is the first time he’s seen this occur in the Jordanelle, and it’s likely a symptom of the reservoir’s low level. The swimmer’s itch reports came from people who swam in shallow water west of the personal watercraft ramp near the Park City Sailing Association. They typically are going to hang out in the shallower areas, so in marshy areas or just kind of the shallow areas where these snails are gonna live, because that snail is the intermediate host, so you need to have these aquatic snails in order to have these larvae hatch and then go into the water,” he added. Because snails tend to prefer shallow water, that’s where swimmers are most likely to be exposed. The larvae rely on snails as part of their life cycle. It’s just a reaction to those little larvae trying to complete their life cycle,” Smoot said. “It could cause that rash, but it doesn’t go any further, so a person doesn’t actually become infected. The rash can last around a week and is treatable with anti-itch cream.Īccording to Chris Smoot, who is an epidemiologist with the Wasatch County Health Department, swimmers who get it need not worry for their health. a while and now people are told not to go swimming because of swimmers itch. Health officials say swimmer’s itch is caused by microscopic larvae called “cercarial.” It causes an allergic reaction on some people’s skin but is otherwise not harmful. Im not sure weve ever been to Willard Bay State Park to actually swim.

Health officials say swimmer’s itch is caused by microscopic larvae called cercarial. At the Jordanelle Reservoir, some have recently reported getting rashes known as swimmer’s itch. For those planning to visit Jordanelle State Park this weekend, know before you go: Some swimmers are getting an irritating but harmless rash there.Īt the Jordanelle Reservoir, some have recently reported getting rashes known as “swimmer’s itch.” For those planning to visit Jordanelle State Park this weekend, know before you go: Some swimmers are getting an irritating but harmless rash there.

Willard bay swimmers itch