Swimmer’s Itch

Synonyms

Cercarial dermatitis

General Information

Swimmer’s itch is an inflammatory skin infection caused by the free-swimming larvae, the cercariae, of certain digenean trematodes of the family Schistosomatidae. Except in Antarctica, the disease occurs worldwide and is regarded as a reemerging disease in Europe and North America that has received both public and academic interest due to the potential severity of infections and the possible economic impact on regions with a focus on recreational water activities (Soldánová et al. 2013). In Europe and North America, the most important causative agents of swimmer’s itch are bird schistosomes of the genus Trichobilharzia with a two-host life cycle that requires both aquatic snails and waterfowl (see Horák et al. 2002 for a comprehensive review of Trichobilharzia spp.). Mammalian schistosomes of the genus Schistosomacan also cause cercarial dermatitis when infecting humans but are of more serious medical interest as causative agents of...