Re: NANFA-L-- Freshwater stings

Bruce Stallsmith (fundulus-in-hotmail.com)
Mon, 21 Mar 2005 13:50:15 -0500

I think you got hit by a dose of "swimmer's rash". It's caused by being
attacked by the aquatic larval stages of parasitic worms. But those worms
are trying to get into ducks or other birds, probably, for whom they have
the ability to suppress the immune system. They don't have that ability with
humans, so the pain is the inflammation caused by your immune system
recognizing and attacking the larval worms. I was hit by this once in a
Massachusetts lake, my leg turned red and itchy for about a day. Looking
closely I could see all the pinpricks where these larval worms had broken my
skin.

--Bruce Stallsmith
the glorious Tennessee
Huntsville, AL, US of A

>From: Moontanman-in-aol.com
>Reply-To: nanfa-l-in-nanfa.org
>To: nanfa-l-in-nanfa.org
>Subject: Re: NANFA-L-- Freshwater stings
>Date: Mon, 21 Mar 2005 12:27:02 EST
>
>Naw, I am well aquatinted with stinging nettle, this occurred in the water.

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