Re: NANFA-L-- Freshwater stings

dlmcneely-in-lunet.edu
Mon, 21 Mar 2005 12:46:09 -0600

Were you "stung" or did you have a rash? People often get a skin rash
from the larvae of bird schistosomes (blood flukes). The flukes are
parasites of birds, related to those that cause the disease
schistosomiasis in people in the tropics. The bird fluke larvae only
penetrate into the skin of people, where they die, but the immune
response creates a rash -- mild in most, more bothersome in some. This
condidion is commonly called "swimmer's itch." You can read about this
in any good invertebrate biology text like Hickman.

Dave

David L. McNeely, Ph.D., Professor of Biology
Langston University; P.O. Box 1500
Langston, OK 73050; email: dlmcneely-in-lunet.edu
telephone: (405) 466-6025; fax: 405) 466-3307
home page http://www.lunet.edu/mcneely/index.htm

"Where are we going?" "I don't know, are we there yet?"

----- Original Message -----
From: Moontanman-in-aol.com
Date: Monday, March 21, 2005 10:49 am
Subject: NANFA-L-- Freshwater stings

> Does anyone know of anything in freshwater that can sting? Last
> year me and
> some friends were collecting in a ditch that is rather isolated
> but rich in
> species. We were ate up by something in the water, it felt just
> like jellyfish do
> in salt water (milder). someone said it was bladderwort but I
> never heard of
> bladder wort stinging people. the water was very acidic and full
> of plant
> material.
>
> Michael Hissom (AKA Moon)
> Lower Cape Fear River, Waccamaw Lake and river system, and coastal
> salt water
> and brackish water estuaries in the same location. (South Eastern
> North
> Carolina)
> I have access to the only natural Ocean Shore Rock out cropping in
> Coastal NC
>
/-----------------------------------------------------------------------
/ This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes
/ Association (NANFA). Comments made on this list do not necessarily
/ reflect the beliefs or goals of NANFA. For more information about NANFA,
/ visit http://www.nanfa.org Please make sure all posts to nanfa-l are
/ consistent with the guidelines as per
/ http://www.nanfa.org/guidelines.shtml To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get
/ help, visit the NANFA email list home page and archive at
/ http://www.nanfa.org/email.shtml