title: The real threat of swimmers' itch in anthropogenic recreational water body of the Polish Lowland.
abstract: After numerous reports the local press about the "stinging water" in created on the Dzierżęcinka River-Water Valley reservoir and recognizing in bathers the symptoms of swimmers' itch, environmental study on the presence of bird schistosome larvae in snail hosts was conducted. Snails belonging to Lymnaeidae and Planorbidae were collected at two sites: (i) part of anthropogenic reservoir (192 individuals) and (ii) the river part (37 individuals). Higher prevalence of Digenea was observed in snail populations living in Water Valley (29.8 %) compared to Dzierżęcinka River (21.3 %). The larvae of bird schistosomes were recorded in both localities in 1.8 % of collected snails. The prevalence of bird schistosomes reached 2.9 % in Planorbarius corneus, 2.8 % in Radix auricularia, and 5.9 % in Radix balthica/labiata. Laboratory tests have shown that at 19 °C the number of bird schistosome cercariae released from snail hosts significantly exceeded the number of cercariae of other identified Digenea species. It is worth underlining that despite the low prevalence of bird schistosomes, the high number of released cercariae was sufficient to create a real threat of swimmers' itch in bathers. As indicated by the example presented, anthropogenic reservoirs create excellent conditions for Digenea species including bird schistosomes. In view of the real risk of people using the waters, tests on presence of the parasites in snail hosts should be included to the standard procedure of security control in bathing places.
authors.affiliation: Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology and Environment Protection, Nicolas Copernicus University in Toruń, Toruń, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marszewska
authors.affiliation: Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology and Environment Protection, Nicolas Copernicus University in Toruń, Toruń, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cichy
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Environmental and Geodetic Sciences, Koszalin University of Technology, Koszalin, Poland.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Heese
authors.affiliation: Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology and Environment Protection, Nicolas Copernicus University in Toruń, Toruń, Poland. ezbikow@umk.pl.
authors.forename: Elżbieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Żbikowska
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000469:parasitology; D001717:Birds / Q000469:parasitology; D058487:Cercaria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D011044:Poland; D011998:Recreation; D012547:Schistosoma / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012552:Schistosomiasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology*; D012876:Skin Diseases, Parasitic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology*; D012908:Snails / Q000469:parasitology*; D013550:Swimming
keywords: Anthropogenic reservoir; Bird schistosome; Cercariae; Planorbarius corneus; Radix spp.; Swimmers’ itch