For Curtis Blankespoor swimmer’s itch is an inevitability. As a biologist who researches the parasite-induced inflammation, it’s a hazard of his job.
"It’s a badge of honor," Blankespoor laughed. "I’ll have it a few times [a year.] The problem is every time you have it, it gets worse."
Swimmer's itch appears as mosquito bite-like welts. It's an immune response to a waterborne parasite that usually infect birds, like mergansers. If you come into contact with the parasite, there's little you can do to protect yourself from it other than wearing a wetsuit, Blankespoor said. The best course of actions is removing the source.
"Taking mergansers off [through trap and relocation] is really the solution to the massive problem of swimmer's itch," Blankespoor said.
On this episode of the Stateside podcast, we looked into the biology behind swimmer's itch and talked about what scientists are doing to mitigate the risk.
GUEST ON THIS EPISODE:
- Curtis Blankespoor, professor at Jackson College and adjunct professor, University of Michigan Biological Station
[Get Stateside on your phone: subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or YouTube Music today.]
