Use of qPCR-Based Cercariometry to Assess Swimmer’s Itch in Recreational Lakes

Abstract

Swimmer’s itch (cercarial dermatitis) is a nuisance encountered by bathers and recreational water users worldwide. The condition is caused by the penetration of larval digenean trematodes (cercariae) of the family Schistosomatidae, into the skin, following their release into freshwater from pulmonate snails that serve as the intermediate hosts for these parasites. This study utilizes qPCR-based cercariometry to monitor and quantify cercariae from water samples collected at 5 lakes in northern Michigan. The resolution provided by qPCR facilitated assessment of the environmental and biological drivers of swimmer’s itch-causing cercariae concentrations, allowing us to demonstrate that cercarial abundance is greatest at the top of the water column, in locations with prevailing on- and alongshore winds.