Red Scare at Area Beaches "No
Big Deal" in Larchmont
by Paula Eisenberg
 (August
4, 2002) "It's really gross to think about,"
says one Larchmont Manor Beach swimmer. "But it's
not keeping me out of the water." "It"
is swimmer's itch, caused by the larvae of the parasite
schistosome cercariae, usually carried by waterfowl
and snails. Swimmers at Sound Shore beaches started
complaining of the itch early last week, but according
to one longtime Manor Beach member, "It's no big
deal. I know a few people who ended up with an infection,
but usually it just goes away."
The woman, who declined to be identified for this article,
has been been coming to Manor Beach for 40 years. "This
has happened often over the years," she said. "Once
you feel the little bite, that's it. You've got it.
It seems especially bad over near the floats, near the
seaweed." The larvae burrow into the skin, leaving
an itchy red rash, but since humans are not the appropriate
host, the larvae soon die.
Laura Clarizio, a Manor Beach lifeguard, was acting
as gatekeeper  in
the beach pavilion Sunday morning. "We've had quite
a few people with the rash," she said. When bathers
come to her complaining of the itch, "I just tell
them to shower and use witch hazel or Neosporin,"
Clarizio said.
According to the Westchester County Health Department,
these outbreaks usually last only a few days, and this
one should be near its end.
Only a handful of beachgoers dotted the sands at Manor
Beach Sunday morning. One young swimmer, a naked baby,
had the best chance of avoiding swimmer's itch. "The
worst place for the rash is between your swimsuit and
your skin, especially the waistband of a two-piece suit,"
said the longtime beach member.
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