Advances in DNA technology, particularly quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR), have allowed unprecedented progress in understanding the parasites responsible for causing swimmer’s itch (SI) in Michigan. Major research initiatives since 2016 have revealed a novel species of parasite, changes in parasite populations over time, effects of wind and time of day on parasite concentrations, ecological predictors of SI risk in northern MI lakes, prevalence of parasites in southern Michigan, and effectiveness of novel swimmer’s itch prevention strategies. Findings from a collaborative effort of scientists from Freshwater Solutions, Oakland University, the University of Alberta and the University of Dallas will be presented.
Presented by Ronald Reimink, Freshwater Solutions, LLC; Thomas Raffel, Oakland University; Patrick Hannington, University of Alberta; and Deanna Soper, University of Dallas during the 2020 Michigan Inland Lakes Convention.
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