Swimmers itch is a skin rash caused by certain parasites of birds and mammals.
These parasites are released from infected snails and migrate through waters including those used for recreational swimming. People who swim or wade in infected water may experience this itching rash. All age groups and both sexes can be involved, but children are most infected due to their habits of swimming or wading in the water and playing on the beach as the water evaporates from the skin. The victim may get the infection by swimming or wading in infested water and then allowing water to evaporate off the skin rather than regularly drying the skin with a towel. Person to person spread does not occur.