Cercarial dermatitis testing (swimmers’ itch)

We are working on a new project looking at the testing of the organisms that cause cercarial dermatitis. This is a new and emerging issue in the UK and seems to be associated with increased numbers of individuals engaging in open water (“wild”) swimming. Although it can occur in coastal waters, it’s mainly associated with freshwaters, in our case lakes, like the one pictured below. The project is in conjunction with Dwr Cymru Welsh Water.

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