Winnipesaukee Forum - View Single Post - INFESTATION of Cercariae and Schistosoma at Newfound June 2016

Newfound Resident · 06-28-2016, 04:21 PM

Thanks for all or your helpful and provocative comments on the Duck Itch situation here at pristine Newfound Lake

I received additional input from Sonya Carlson at DES in an email and a follow-up phone message from her which more or less indicated that their offices consider duck itch to be a situation in the natural environment that is similar to say poison ivy and since it is not, in their opinion, a 'health' issue with serious medical consequences then that is the underlying reason for their effectively silence about the infestations (my word and I think it must require quit a few of the little buggers to cause the effects that I observed last weekend .....thus an infestation of the duck itch causing buggers). Accordingly, I hope Ms. Carlson and others at DES will take the time to come here for a visit, a few hours in the water, and a weeks worth of duck itch symptoms. Then perhaps we can see what she and others at DES think about their policies and lack of public awareness initiatives.

Also, FYI Ms Carlson made it clear that duck itch is in fact caused by the cercariae and not schistosomes which are found in fresh water in the tropics and are a very serious health threat in those areas. This I suppose is progress.

Thus, I will leave you all with the suggestion that something should or could be done along the lines of the F&G bumper stickers which advertise "Brake for Moose, It Could Save Your Life". With only rudimentary literary licensing skills, I think we could consider signage or bumper stickers saying something like "Beware of Cercariae, They Could Ruin your Week". In that way, visitors and residents alike would certainly use their iPhones to search for what in God's name is a Cercariae and then they would be directed to all the information that can be had in cyberspace.

So, I close with thanks to all and special thanks to Descant for your kind words.

PS....I hope MAXUM is correct in his statement about the short life of these little nasty buggers but I expect that is too good to be true .....Beware the Cercariae!

06-28-2016, 04:21 PM	#18
Newfound Resident Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2016 Posts: 6 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Newfound update on cercariae and thanks to Forum respondants Thanks for all or your helpful and provocative comments on the Duck Itch situation here at pristine Newfound Lake I received additional input from Sonya Carlson at DES in an email and a follow-up phone message from her which more or less indicated that their offices consider duck itch to be a situation in the natural environment that is similar to say poison ivy and since it is not, in their opinion, a 'health' issue with serious medical consequences then that is the underlying reason for their effectively silence about the infestations (my word and I think it must require quit a few of the little buggers to cause the effects that I observed last weekend .....thus an infestation of the duck itch causing buggers). Accordingly, I hope Ms. Carlson and others at DES will take the time to come here for a visit, a few hours in the water, and a weeks worth of duck itch symptoms. Then perhaps we can see what she and others at DES think about their policies and lack of public awareness initiatives. Also, FYI Ms Carlson made it clear that duck itch is in fact caused by the cercariae and not schistosomes which are found in fresh water in the tropics and are a very serious health threat in those areas. This I suppose is progress. Thus, I will leave you all with the suggestion that something should or could be done along the lines of the F&G bumper stickers which advertise "Brake for Moose, It Could Save Your Life". With only rudimentary literary licensing skills, I think we could consider signage or bumper stickers saying something like "Beware of Cercariae, They Could Ruin your Week". In that way, visitors and residents alike would certainly use their iPhones to search for what in God's name is a Cercariae and then they would be directed to all the information that can be had in cyberspace. So, I close with thanks to all and special thanks to Descant for your kind words. PS....I hope MAXUM is correct in his statement about the short life of these little nasty buggers but I expect that is too good to be true .....Beware the Cercariae!