Seabather's eruption

Seabather's eruption

Seabather's eruption is an itching dermatitis[1] caused by a hypersensitivity reaction to the immature nematocysts of larval-stage thimble jellyfish (Linuche unguiculata), sea anemones (Edwardsiella lineata) and other larval cnidarians.[2] The eruption is sometimes attributed to "sea lice" or "sea ants", but sea lice (Caligidae) are crustacean parasites of fish only.[3][4]

It should not be confused with swimmer's itch.[5]

  1. ^ Freudenthal AR, Joseph PR (August 1993). "Seabather's eruption". N. Engl. J. Med. 329 (8): 542–4. doi:10.1056/NEJM199308193290805. PMID 8336754.
  2. ^ MacSween RM, Williams HC (April 1996). "Seabather's eruption--a case of Caribbean itch". BMJ. 312 (7036): 957–8. doi:10.1136/bmj.312.7036.957. PMC 2350763. PMID 8616313.
  3. ^ Williamson, John A.; Burnett, Joseph W.; Fenner, Peter J.; Rifkin, Jacqueline F. (1996). Venomous and Poisonous Marine Animals: A Medical and Biological Handbook. University of New South Wales Press. p. 308.
  4. ^ Tomchik RS, Russell MT, Szmant AM, Black NA (April 1993). "Clinical perspectives on seabather's eruption, also known as 'sea lice'". JAMA. 269 (13): 1669–72. doi:10.1001/jama.269.13.1669. PMID 8455301.
  5. ^ "Swimmer's itch. DermNet NZ".