Swimmer's Itch - Cause

Cause

The schistosomatidae genera most commonly associated with swimmer’s itch in humans are Trichobilharzia and Gigantobilharzia. Trematodes in these groups normally complete their life cycles in water birds. However, swimmer’s itch can also be caused by schistosome parasites of non-avian vertebrates, such as Schistosomatium douthitti, which infects snails and rodents. Other taxa reported to cause the reaction include Bilharziella polonica and Schistosoma bovis. In marine habitats, especially along the coasts, swimmer’s itch can occur as well. In Australia, the so called "pelican itch" is caused by cercariae of the genus Austrobilharzia employing marine gastropods of the genus Batillaria (B. australis) as intermediate hosts.