Start Date

2018

Description

  • Swimmer’s itch is caused by parasites called avian schistosomes. The main parasite that causes swimmer’s itch is Trichobilharzia stagnicolae.
  • The T. stagnicolae life cycle uses common merganser ducks (COME) and snails as hosts
  • Main problem: There is no easy way to determine if a particular beach area has swimmer’s itch at a given time. Current methods require water samples and and take a long time.

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Jan 1st, 12:00 AM

New Techniques to Detect Swimmer’s Itch Parasites in Lakes

  • Swimmer’s itch is caused by parasites called avian schistosomes. The main parasite that causes swimmer’s itch is Trichobilharzia stagnicolae.
  • The T. stagnicolae life cycle uses common merganser ducks (COME) and snails as hosts
  • Main problem: There is no easy way to determine if a particular beach area has swimmer’s itch at a given time. Current methods require water samples and and take a long time.