News Release
| Release Number: | 04-138 |
| Dated: | 7/30/2004 |
| Contact: | Diana J. Fredlund, 503-808-4510 |
Outbreak of swimmer's itch confirmed at lake
PORTLAND, ORE.-The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is recommending campers avoid swimming along the shoreline at Pine Meadows campground on Cottage Grove Lake, located about five miles south of Cottage Grove, Ore., due to an outbreak of swimmer's itch.
Swimmer's itch, or cercarial dermatitis, is a skin rash caused by an allergic reaction to infection with certain parasites of birds and mammals, according to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. The parasites are released from infected snails and swim in fresh and saltwater ponds, oceans or lakes such as Cottage Grove. For more information on swimmer's itch, go the CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/schistosomiasis/factsht_cardmermatitis.htm .
Most cases of swimmer's itch do not require medical attention, according to the CDC. Toweling dry or showering immediately after leaving the water can help reduce the risk of swimmer's itch, which generally occurs during summer months.
The Corps of Engineers operates 87 campsites at Pine Meadows Campground between May and September. Cottage Grove Lake is located on the Coast Fork of the Willamette River, near exit 170 northbound and exit 172 southbound on Interstate 5.