Monday's "Aktuaalne kaamera" reported that information has been shared on social media that several swimmers have developed skin rashes after swimming in Lake Karujärv on the island of Saaremaa.

The chief water environment specialist of Saaremaa Municipality confirmed that water tests at six public swimming areas in Saaremaa show there are no problems.

Since water tests there also show no contamination, the cause may reportedly be parasites — known as cercariae— that enter the water through waterfowl droppings.

"This happens at practically every beach where waterfowl may be present. These tiny creatures that cause itching and red dots on the skin are just one larval stage of blood parasites carried by water birds, and they're looking for a new warm-blooded host. But since human skin is quite thick for these creatures, the tiny worm usually dies in the surface tissue of the skin and leaves only a red, itchy mark on the hand," said Meelis Albert, chief water environment specialist of Saaremaa Municipality.

This phenomenon occurs every summer when water temperatures exceed 20 degrees Celsius. Rinsing the body with clean water and drying off after swimming helps prevent it.

"They cause problems for people with more sensitive skin, those with immune deficiencies or open skin wounds, but the simplest solution is to rinse off with clean water. Children definitely should not splash around all day in shallow water, since the highest concentration of these parasites tends to be in shallow areas where the water is warm," Albert added.

The Kuressaare family health center said it has not received more visits than usual this summer due to skin rashes. No one has gone to the Kuressaare Hospital emergency room with such concerns either, the show reported.

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