What is 'swimmer's itch' and how can you avoid it?

(NEXSTAR) – Officials in coastal and lakeside municipalities in several parts of the country have issued alerts about “swimmer’s itch” in recent weeks, perhaps prompting a few would-be beachgoers to rethink their plans.

A sign spotted this month near a pond in Idaho, for instance, warned visitors to “swim at your own risk.”

“In some people the reaction may be hardly noticeable,” reads the sign. “Others have considerable pain, fever, severe itching and swelling.”

What is swimmer’s itch?

Swimmer’s itch, or cercarial dermatitis, is a skin condition caused by “microscopic parasites,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Humans generally come into contact with these parasites in bodies of freshwater or saltwater after the parasitic organisms are “released from