Sea Lice

[summerskye]

I just found this article in my local news and wanted to share.

Sea lice are popping up all over Gulf Coast beaches. Sea lice, also known as beach lice outbreaks have been reported mainly along the Florida panhandle. However, biologists say they expect to start seeing more sea lice move along the coastline to warmer waters which means they could be headed to our area.

Sea lice are virtually impossible to see underwater, making them difficult to track. They are known to get stuck underneath bathing suits and irritate the skin, causing a rash known as seabather's eruption.

Rashes may include elevated skin with a reddish tint and some small blisters. Severe reactions can cause fever, chills, nausea and headache.


Officials say the best form of treatment is to rub the affected area with sand or the edge of a credit card and flush the skin with hot water. Your natural reaction may be to flush the affected area with cold water, but don't - hot water is the key, experts say.

Sea lice, also known as beach lice, have been confirmed in Florida's South Walton and Santa Rosa Beaches. Experts say sea lice appear particularly in areas with warmer climates, such as the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.

While they can be found throughout the year, sea lice are most active from the months of April through August.

 

[DWillowBay]

Who invited them?????

 

[summerskye]

Who invited them?????

I don't know. But I sure hope they go back into hiding soon.

 

[Kuzcotopia1]

This was posted on cnn.com about sea lice yesterday:

http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/06/health/sea-lice-attack-florida-swimmers/index.html

 

[summerskye]

This was posted on cnn.com about sea lice yesterday:

http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/06/health/sea-lice-attack-florida-swimmers/index.html

yuck!

 

[DisneyMom111]

I was really nervous about them at Castaway a few weeks ago but luckily we had no problems. I hope they stay away for all of you heading there soon! So gross!!

 

[summerskye]

Our friends picked up some Sea Safe for the kids. Hopefully we don't have any issues.

 

[drea21]

My daughter was only 4 the last time we were on a DCL and still, at 6, she talks about getting the "ocean bugs" on Castaway Cay and having to go to the "beach Doctor" ugh!

 

[summerskye]

My daughter was only 4 the last time we were on a DCL and still, at 6, she talks about getting the "ocean bugs" on Castaway Cay and having to go to the "beach Doctor" ugh!

Beach Doctor - I love it
I think his office is located near the bar, I mean Liquid Doctor...

 

[MeliMel702]

I also heard vinegar helps clear up the rash quickly.

 

[Shanti]

I just found this article in my local news and wanted to share.

Sea lice are popping up all over Gulf Coast beaches. Sea lice, also known as beach lice outbreaks have been reported mainly along the Florida panhandle. However, biologists say they expect to start seeing more sea lice move along the coastline to warmer waters which means they could be headed to our area.

Sea lice are virtually impossible to see underwater, making them difficult to track. They are known to get stuck underneath bathing suits and irritate the skin, causing a rash known as seabather's eruption.

Rashes may include elevated skin with a reddish tint and some small blisters. Severe reactions can cause fever, chills, nausea and headache.


Officials say the best form of treatment is to rub the affected area with sand or the edge of a credit card and flush the skin with hot water. Your natural reaction may be to flush the affected area with cold water, but don't - hot water is the key, experts say.

Sea lice, also known as beach lice, have been confirmed in Florida's South Walton and Santa Rosa Beaches. Experts say sea lice appear particularly in areas with warmer climates, such as the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.

While they can be found throughout the year, sea lice are most active from the months of April through August.

They aren't real lice, but instead, jellyfish larvae (babies). The stinging is not biting, but instead the body's allergic reaction to toxins the larvae send out while they die. Some people have a reaction to the toxin, some don't, which explains why some people are more susceptible to sea lice rashes than others. They are a nuisance and can cause itching, rashes and welts, but they are not vermin, don't infest anything, and are not feeding off you.

The correct term for this condition is sea bather's eruption, but it's popularly called sea lice. (Which can be confusing as there are real, parasitic sea lice that feed off fish, but that is not what is being discussed in the news or in this post.)

Here's an article:

http://www.dermnetnz.org/arthropods/sea-bathers.html

 

[Trera]

they were active in Palm Beach, FL last weekend as well.

Our only experience hearing about them when we were at CC was last year around mothers day in the lagoon at the end of the family cabana beach. It was very warm and we heard of a couple of people getting stung.

 

[RedSox68]

They aren't real lice, but instead, jellyfish larvae (babies). The stinging is not biting, but instead the body's allergic reaction to toxins the larvae send out while they die. Some people have a reaction to the toxin, some don't, which explains why some people are more susceptible to sea lice rashes than others. They are a nuisance and can cause itching, rashes and welts, but they are not vermin, don't infest anything, and are not feeding off you.

The correct term for this condition is sea bather's eruption, but it's popularly called sea lice. (Which can be confusing as there are real, parasitic sea lice that feed off fish, but that is not what is being discussed in the news or in this post.)

Here's an article:

http://www.dermnetnz.org/arthropods/sea-bathers.html

Well, I would definitely be one of those who reacts -- I have allergic reactions to mosquito and flea bites and it's awful.

 

[Churchladychurchlady]

Am I the only one who thought of Dory saying "BAD squishy!" when they first read the article of what sea lice really are?

 

[bumbershoot]

Well, I would definitely be one of those who reacts -- I have allergic reactions to mosquito and flea bites and it's awful.

But first you have to be in the specific area of water where those baby jellyfish are. The ocean's big. THey aren't *everywhere*.

If my math is right, I've been to CC 5 times (four DCL cruises and one was a doubledip) and I have never encountered them.

I'm a "canary in a coal mine" when it comes to, oh, everything that isn't actually toxic. I once reacted for 6 months to what I presume was a mosquito bite. (everyone doubted me but then my stepdad's wife, who is MORE allergic than I am, sat in the same basic spot at my brothers at the same time of night and the same season, got bitten by mosquitoes, and reacted the same way)

And I've never had even a spot of anything from the water there. Jan, Feb, and October are the months we've cruised Disney.

 

[RedSox68]

But first you have to be in the specific area of water where those baby jellyfish are. The ocean's big. THey aren't *everywhere*.

If my math is right, I've been to CC 5 times (four DCL cruises and one was a doubledip) and I have never encountered them.

I'm a "canary in a coal mine" when it comes to, oh, everything that isn't actually toxic. I once reacted for 6 months to what I presume was a mosquito bite. (everyone doubted me but then my stepdad's wife, who is MORE allergic than I am, sat in the same basic spot at my brothers at the same time of night and the same season, got bitten by mosquitoes, and reacted the same way)

And I've never had even a spot of anything from the water there. Jan, Feb, and October are the months we've cruised Disney.

Me neither. We've been very lucky that in none of our 9 visits to CC -- several different months -- we have never had a case of sea lice! We don't spend a lot of time in the ocean otherwise, but do love the waters at CC. I remember on our first cruise a story like this broke in 2000 and scared the heck out of us -- but we never had anything happen!

 

[mevelandry]

I'll make provisions of Safe Sea!

 

[Churchladychurchlady]

Safe Sea? Does it really work?

 

[sydneymorganmom]

DD7, DD5 and a friend unfortunately had a run-in at the end of the day (luckily) on CC in November 2015. We had a cabana on the family beach. At first we thought my youngest was being silly, then we thought they were all being silly, then we realized it was certainly no joke. They came running out of the water screaming and crying and acting like maniacs. We weren't sure what it was so we put them into the outside showers. BIG MISTAKE. It makes them sting more. They are basically baby jellyfish and they get worse with fresh water. We had to strip them all and towel them down. My eldest didn't wear a cover up and had nothing to wear back to the boat so my husband had to run and buy her one at a shop. They had terrible red rashes that looked like jellyfish stings for quite a few days after. Luckily the pain/itchiness stopped after about an hour. It was a nightmare. There are actually signs about it on the island which we never noticed until that day, of course. Word to the wise...don't rinse in the shower!

 

[Fuhnuh]

Safe Sea? Does it really work?

I have never noticed sea lice in the water as they are not easily spotted, but DD15 encountered them on our first double-dip cruise. We also made the mistake of getting her right in the fresh water (I have also read that this precipitates stinging). Luckily, there weren't many and she only had a few stings, mostly around her bikini line. We had Safe Sea with us but DD15 (11 at the time) wasn't into waiting to apply it. She was way more interested on our second visit that cruise. We have used Safe Sea for the last 3 CC visits (August, July, and May) and have not experience another incident. It is hard to know whether this is because we didn't encounter any or Safe Sea is effective. I do know that we already have our bottle ready for our July trip.