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Mr
<br />flocks of migrating
<br />initive hosts). It is
<br />in the fall, it might
<br />s for the following
<br />» be learned about
<br />mal definitive hosts
<br />ne cercariae before
<br />irol method,
<br />as been to kill the
<br />licat means. Copper
<br />pose for a number
<br />nit from the State
<br />mbinations of cop>
<br />and more recently
<br />e, were found to be
<br />hen applied under
<br />I pounds per l«000
<br />luipment has been
<br />>r this purpose in
<br />ibers of snails are
<br />e released from the
<br />ttively harmless to
<br />n 1939 and 1967
<br />pper sulfate were
<br />r Resources Com-
<br />>ntrol programs in
<br />unds were author*
<br />he effectiveness of
<br />iremly considered
<br />riously questioned
<br />utbreaks continue
<br />during the same
<br />lent has been in*
<br />le accumulates in
<br />tkes, and no one
<br />accumulation.
<br />>) have been devel*
<br />leen found to be
<br />i and schistosome
<br />of these is sodium
<br />rawback of being
<br />y the trade name
<br />material is more
<br />mollusks such as
<br />te, and also will
<br />iriae. It does not
<br />ish when used at
<br />ivy gianular for*
<br />lottom sediments
<br />censed for use in
<br />, ri;
<br />Ml
<br />i
<br />i
<br />■
<br />I
<br />[• »
<br />I
<br />I
<br />hi
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<br />Michigan, and has been applied from both boats and
<br />planes, under the supervision of biologists from the
<br />Bureau of Water Management of the State Water
<br />Resources Commission.
<br />One s view of the desirability of attempting to
<br />control swimmers* itch and of the various methods
<br />used or proposed for control will be influenced in part
<br />by how serious he regards the problem to be. Some
<br />tegard it merely as a nusiance and not really a prob
<br />lem. Others, including many who arc familiar with
<br />the situation in Michigan, regard it as a serious prob
<br />lem at least in that state. “Scores of lakes and beaches
<br />in Michigan arc so severely infected that every summer
<br />many are rendered practically useless for bathing for
<br />days or even weeks** according to one authority.
<br />More recently. Wall stated that: “Without effective
<br />and dependable control (of swimmers* itch) we are
<br />not using our lake resources efficiently, people arc
<br />incurring economic losses, and Michigan ’s reputation
<br />as an exceptionally fine area for a summer vacation
<br />b being damaged." The Bureau of Water Management
<br />of the Michigan Water Resources Commission, one of
<br />whose jobs is to receive complaints of swimmers* itch
<br />problems around the state, inspect bathing beaches,
<br />and authorize and supervise beach treatment pro
<br />grams to kill infested snails, also states that the prob
<br />lem is a serious one. All of this reffects the fact that
<br />an important segment of the Michigan public sees
<br />swimmers’ itch as a serious problem and wants action
<br />to control it.
<br />Granting that there is a problem, control measures
<br />may take one of iw'o contrasting forms. One is to
<br />learn all we can about the disease, learn how better
<br />to predict outbreaks, educate the public us to the risks
<br />involved in entering infested waters—and perhaps how
<br />to live gracefully with such risks—and attempt to
<br />keep the use of chemical poisons to a minintum in
<br />effecting control. This approach would .ivoid trading
<br />one problem, swimmers' itch, for another possibly
<br />more serious problem, further degradation and pollu
<br />tion of our priceless water resources, A contr.isting
<br />approach would be to continue to develop more and
<br />more effective and powerful snail-killing choinieals.
<br />and more rapid means, such as use of aircrali. for
<br />their widespread application to schistosomc-inl ’ccted
<br />waters. If there arc unexpected and undesirable sitle-
<br />cffccis us a result of using this approacli. m.i>be some
<br />new technological development will help us ile.il with
<br />those problems. L'nl'oruinately. this appro.ich to en
<br />vironmental problems has loo often characten/ed
<br />our past individual and collective behavior and has
<br />led us into many of our current environmental
<br />difficulties.
<br />While there is much disagreement about how best
<br />to deal with the swimmers* itch problem, those best
<br />informed on the subject arc likely to agree that wc
<br />need to learn much more about the problem in all
<br />of its various aspects, and to make our findings known
<br />to the public.
<br />There is a much more general question to which
<br />I believe, quite subjectively, we also need an answer:
<br />How can wc see ourselves, the human species, as
<br />members of a community of living things (including,
<br />among countless others, snails, waterfowl, and even
<br />blood ffukes), and not just as manipulators and dis
<br />rupters of every natural process that causes us even
<br />J d'^'.'iirnfort? If wc had a satisfactory answer,
<br />ti; JfVidually and collectively, to this general question,
<br />wc might begin to see more permanent solutions to
<br />some of our current environmental difficulties. Viewed
<br />in this perspective, swimmers’ itch is surely one of
<br />our more minor irritations.
<br />BIBLIOGRAPHY
<br />Bracked ’, Sterunc . 1941. Schi>tosoir.c dermatitis and its dis
<br />tribution. Symposium on Hutrohiotogy, pp. 3M-367. .NIadi-
<br />son: University of Wisconsin Press.
<br />CoRT, W. W. 1928a. Schistosome dermatitis in the United
<br />Stales (Michigan). Jour. Amer. Med. Asioc. 90: 1027-1029.
<br />1928b, f urthcr observations on schisiosi>me dermaitiis
<br />in the United States (Michigan). Science 65: 388.
<br />1950. Studies on schistosome dermatitis. XI. Status of
<br />knowledge after more than twenty years. Amer. Jour. Hyg.
<br />52. 231-307.
<br />The most comprehensive summary available, from published
<br />and unpublished sources, on the schistosome dermatitis prob
<br />lem throughout the world as seen m 1950. includes a com
<br />plete bibliography as of 1950.
<br />Malik . E. A. 1961. The biology of mammalian and bird
<br />schistosomes. Bull. Tulwie i nn . Medical faculty 20: 181-207.
<br />Mc Moiun . D. II.. and P. S. Bfasir . 1945. Studies on schis
<br />tosome dermatitis. IX. The life c>cles of l’ ;e dermatitis-
<br />producing schistosomes from bird> and a discussion on '.he
<br />siibljmilv iSiiliurzu/litint* f FrciiKiiodvi : Swhl^tosor^alli!ac>.
<br />Amer. Jour. //»,e. 42: 128-154.
<br />KiV‘»'KCis CovMissios iBiology Si.itfl.
<br />I m'J. I he cause and conirtd of swimmers’ itch in .Muliie.m.
<br />MiciiiKMn Water HcMuirccN Corimiivsion. Dcparin'ciu ul
<br />Naliir.il Resources. Slate of S pp. and t iiis. I 2.
<br />IK’scribes Uic swimmers* iicfi pfi>hlem in n«)ii*leehniwal
<br />lani’uap.e, ^ises biol«i|*ical hawkitrotinj, atul iltvciisses re^i»m-
<br />mentled control pr«H:cdiires nneliiding prew.itiiionsi in some
<br />uclail.
<br />W \M , KfiiiiHr C. l‘>f)S. An analvsis of ilie eiirrenf slatiis of ific
<br />schisloNOfiie derm ititi> i'ri»h!cm in |*h I) Dix^rfa*
<br />lion, V niversM) ot Mulnean. .Ann \iUir pp.
<br />A an.il.^.N »i| iiu- pfs«h!eiii in NfiJi e.in as nclii by
<br />eoit.iite ovvnef*. reN*»ii «'pi.i .it«Ms, w-imp \tite^ii*tv. p;tk
<br />man.ipers Umijas dtc sk.iviiuiie hicraune up-to-vi.ite. ile'vid«es
<br />die .mil ii!v\tuencss o! current comrol ir.clluulx, and
<br />nukes fcwommendaiuMis.
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