FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) - A whistleblower reached out through our hotline to look into the growing issue of swimmer’s itch in Otter Tail Lake, MN. Erin Walters, who has been going to the lakes since the late 70′s, said that she has never seen it start so soon in the summer.
“This year it started early June. Like June 7, and that’s chilly. The water is typically too cold for it.” said Walters.
A representative for the Otter Tail County Public Health Dept. said that no one treats the lakes for swimmer’s itch. Stating that one should shower and use a towel after going into the lakes.
According to Walters, swimmer’s itch normally becomes an issue for her and her family in late July, but this year is different. A local store clerk mentioned that at least 10 people come into her store asking for treatment options for swimmer’s itch. The Mayo Clinic lists different ways to treat it.
-Apply a cream or medication
-Don’t scratch
-Cover affected areas with a clean, wet washcloth
-Soak in a bath sprinkled with Epsom salts, baking soda or oatmeal
-Make a paste of baking soda and water
For lake goers like Walters, they just want answers to what has changed this year.
“Is there something different? Is it affected by the zebra mussels? Is it affected by climate? Is it affected by all the rain we’ve had this year? What is making this year different from other years?” said Walters.
For more information on how to prevent swimmer’s itch, click here.
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