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By Mayo Clinic Staff

Symptoms and Causes
Swimmer's itch is an itchy rash that can occur after you go swimming or wading outdoors. Also known as cercarial dermatitis, swimmer's itch is most common in freshwater lakes and ponds, but it occasionally occurs in salt water.

Swimmer's itch is a rash usually caused by an allergic reaction to parasites that burrow into your skin while you're swimming or wading in warm water.

The parasites that cause swimmer's itch normally live in waterfowl and some animals. These parasites can be released into the water. Humans aren't suitable hosts, so the parasites soon die while still in your skin.

Swimmer's itch is uncomfortable, but it usually clears up on its own in a few days. In the meantime, you can control itching with over-the-counter or prescription medications.

Symptoms
The itchy rash associated with swimmer's itch looks like reddish pimples or blisters. It may appear within minutes or days after swimming or wading in infested water.

Swimmer's itch usually affects only exposed skin — skin not covered by swimsuits, wet suits or waders. Signs and symptoms of swimmer's itch typically worsen with each exposure to the parasites.

When to see a doctor
Talk to your doctor if you have a rash after swimming that lasts more than three days. If you notice pus at the rash site, consult your doctor. You might be referred to a doctor who specializes in skin conditions (dermatologist).

Causes
The parasites that cause swimmer's itch live in the blood of waterfowl and in animals that live near ponds and lakes. Examples include:

• Geese
• Ducks
• Gulls
• Beavers
• Muskrats

The parasite's eggs enter the water via their hosts' feces. Before infecting birds, animals or people, the hatched parasites must live for a time within a type of snail. These snails live near the shoreline, which explains why infections occur most often in shallow water.

Swimmer's itch isn't contagious from person to person, so you don't need to worry about catching swimmer's itch from someone who has this itchy rash.

Risk factors
The parasites that cause swimmer's itch live in the blood of waterfowl and in animals that live near ponds and lakes. The more time you spend in infested water, the higher your risk of swimmer's itch. Children may have the highest risk, since they tend to play in shallow water and are less likely to dry off with a towel.

Some people are more sensitive to swimmer's itch than others are. And, your sensitivity can increase each time you're exposed to the parasites that cause swimmer's itch.

Complications
Swimmer's itch rarely leads to complications, but your skin can become infected if you scratch too vigorously. Try to avoid scratching the rash.




Visit  Minnesota DNR website for additional information from the MN DNR.

Stay Safe on the Lake

• Boat & Water Safety - MN DNR
• MN Boating Guide Brochure
• DNR Life Jacket Requirements
• DNR Fishing Regulations

 

What is Electric Shock Drowning?

Electric Shock Drowning (ESD) is the result of the passage of a typically low level AC current through the body with sufficient force to cause skeletal muscular paralysis, rendering the victim unable to help himself / herself, while immersed in fresh water, eventually resulting in drowning of the victim. Higher levels of AC current in the water will also result in electrocution. Electric Shock Drowning (ESD) has become the catch all phrase that encompasses all in-water shock casualties and fatalities.

Although Electric Shock Drowning can occur virtually in any location where electricity is provided near water, the majority of Electric Shock Drowning deaths have occurred in public and private marinas and docks. The typical victim of Electric Shock Drowning is a child swimming in or around a marina or dock where electricity is present. The electricity that enters the water and causes Electric Shock Drowning originates from the wiring of the dock or marina, or from boats that are connected to the marina’s or dock’s power supply.

Would you consider stepping into a bathtub or swimming pool with a hair dryer? Think of the boat as the hairdryer. If an electric fault occurs on a boat while it is connected to a marina’s or dock’s shore power and the boat or marina is not properly wired to meet current ABYC and NFPA standards, the water surrounding the boat will become electrified.

WHY IS ELECTRIC SHOCK DROWNING A SILENT KILLER?

There is no visible warning or way to tell if water surrounding a boat, marina or dock is energized or within seconds will become energized with fatal levels of electricity.

In most circumstances victims do not immediately feel electrical current when they enter or swim in the water around a marina or dock, thus giving the victims the false impression that it is “safe” to swim. Most often, electricity enters the water when an electrical fault occurs aboard a boat. Often, the electric fault occurring aboard the boat is intermittent. For example, the fault that places deadly current into the water may only occur when a light switch is turned on, or when a hot water heater, battery charger, A/C unit or other electrical device cycles on. Water can appear and feel “safe” and in a split second become energized with deadly electricity.

Under the typical scenario, the victim’s muscles become paralyzed by the electrical current, he or she is unable to swim, and ultimately drowns. Unless there is a witness nearby to experience and report the sensation of electric shock in the water, the victim’s death is typically labeled a common drowning. In the vast majority of Electric Shock Drownings, the victim’s autopsy shows no signs of electrical injury and investigators often never learn that electricity was the cause of the drowning.

Until very recently, there has been very little public awareness about the danger of Electric Shock Drowning. As a result, Electric Shock Drowning continues to kill and new families are devastated on a yearly basis with very little public awareness.


HOW FREQUENTLY DOES THIS OCCUR?

How many unexplained drownings of healthy vibrant people around boats and marinas have there been? The answer – many.

How many of these unexplainable drownings have likely been caused by Electric Shock Drowning instead of cramping, excessive alcohol use, or some other factor? The answer – many.

The number of verifiable in-water deaths due to Electric Shock Drowning is, in all likelihood, just the tip of the iceberg.

Preventing Electric Shock Drowning:

- NEVER swim in or near marinas, docks or boatyards.

- Tell others about the danger of Electric Shock Drowning. Most people have never heard of ESD and are unaware of the danger.

- If you are a boat owner, have your boat inspected by an electrician with current ABYC (American Boat and Yacht Council) Electrical Certification or by an ABYC Certified Technician. Boats with alternating current (AC) systems should have isolation transformers or equipment leakage circuit interrupter (ELCI) protection, comply with American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) standards, and should be serviced by an ABYC Certified® Technician. Click here to learn about isolation transformers.

- Talk to Marina owners or operators about the danger of electric shock drowning. Ask them to install GFCI’s on all shore power pedestals and on all marina wiring circuits. Ask if they are having their marinas regularly inspected by qualified electricians who are familiar with National Fire Protection Association Codes: NFPA 303 and NFPA 70. ​

"NO SWIMMING" Around AC Powered Docks:

The ESDPA strongly discourages swimming around boats, docks, and marinas that use AC electrical power for any purpose (boat power, electrical outlets, lighting, boat lifts, aerators, etc.). It is the ESDPA’s position that swimming around boats, docks, or marinas using AC electrical power should be strictly prohibited. We recommend that signs be posted to warn people of the dangers associated with swimming around any equipment powered by AC electricity. Additionally, for marinas, docks, and boatyards, we advocate for the establishment of a “NO SWIMMING” policy, supported by appropriate signage, notifications, facility monitoring, and enforcement by appropriately trained staff.

ESDPA Policy Statement Concerning the Use of “Green Light for Swimming” devices:

​The ESDPA neither promotes nor endorses the use of voltage or current detection devices as a “green light” for swimming activities around boats, docks, or marinas where AC electrical power is installed or in use. The use of these devices is recognized only to the extent that they may serve to warn the owner or operator of potentially dangerous electrical conditions around their dock or marina. These devices should never be used as an indication that the waters around boats, docks, and marinas are safe for swimming. Please review the ESDPA Position Statement on "Green Light Devices".

ESD Awareness Brochure