Sea Lice
 

My mother just returned from Belize on a missionary mission on the coast. her ankles and feet are iching like crazy and the only way the pain seems to go away is to rupture small bumps. The people she went with told her that it was sea lice. The say that the lice lay eggs under the skin and will continue to so until the lice are killed off, but no one has said how to kill them.

Any of you guys experience this and have any ideas?

Sounds like chiggers to me.

If so, a sulfur based cream may help, I usually paint over mine with clear nail polish.

OTOH, perhaps yet again, the best advice to be found here is to SEEK A PHYSICIAN for a professional diagnosis.

TR

sand fleas, scabies, other...visit a primary care doc or dermatologist. If the itching is between the toes and little streaks are seen, likely scabies, Rx with a prescribed med. Derm is not my thing.......

As a Diver, I have seen other diver's have a problem with what is known as "sea lice," particulary in that part of the world. I have not experienced them, mostly because I always wear a full 3MM wetsuit when diving in that area as well as Cozamel, etc. for that very reason as well as likeing to be warm!

Usually, one makes contact with them at the surface. They are a form of jelly fish, as I understand it. There are many home remedies, to include your own urine. ;)

TR - I definately understand what you are saying, but Seattle doctors seem to be having a hard time with tropical dermitology issues and have no idea what it is. So just thought I might ask some of you who have much more experience in the tropics.

Researching it further, I doubt it is Sea Lice. Sea Lice actually being jellyfish larvae that breaks out within 12 hours after contact and disappears within 10 to 14 days. Rx is topical ointments and in bad cases steroids.

Turns out that her skin eruptions, as well as 4 other people, started after they returned home. They have been going on for over a month and are on their 3rd set of break outs, expanding further up the legs. The skin eruptions look like chiggers, but the unerupted bumps do not have the redness of chiggers.

is there true 'pus' from the lesions when they break, do they have a red ring at the base??...indicates a staph dermatitis??

come to think of it, are they all women and did they shave their legs and use the local water...now I would think staph or another bacterial source.?? folliculitis

Yeah, the things you are talking about here doesn't sound like sea lice problems to me. Last year I was on the Yucatan, PN on the border with Belize on a dive trip. There were sea lice reports form some of my Buddies on the trip. The real problem was that where we were staying was a hotel on the beach surrounded by a swampy jungle. (Maya-Ha)

The bugs were really bad! You name it! We had biting ants, no-seeums, biting flys and of course mosquitos by the millions! My wife and I were itching and suffering from all sorts of bites for a couple of weeks on our return. We went with plenty of "bug juice" and used it while we were there too. I hope the Seattle doctors come up with something to help soon.

BTW: One of the things that really turned me off about that "Resort." was each cottage had a concreate small patch filled with water to wash the sand off your feet at the enterence . On examination the water was never changed and mosquito larve was present in the water. So we each had our very own mosquito farm! :boohoo

para - I hope you find the link I have attached helpful in finding a provider in Seattle. I noticed several in the area. For others, this link lets you select the State you wish to search for specialists in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, and Travel Clinics.

The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
http://www.astmh.org/scripts/clinindex.asp

With deep respect.

This thread is 7 years old and just helped point a family member in a good direction. Proof of what the mighty search button can do. Thanks PS!

Sea Lice are in fact jelly fish new hachlings. They float on the surface of the ocean. Divers & swimmers often come into contact with them during the calm flat water of the warm summer months in the Caribbean. I compare them to micro sized Portuguese man-of-war,, not nice. The sting is immediate and can be severe to anyone with bug sting allergies.

Twenty some years ago a bunch of us were Dolphin fishing 30 miles off the Palm Beaches, with little luck. We stopped to take a dip. Two of the wives and my daughter got hit pretty good, but the owner carried vinegar for just such occasions. The boat also had a fresh water shower..

r

The Reaper is offering the best advice- see a physician. Without seeing the lesions, from what it sounds most docs will diagnose it at "contact dermatitis" and prescribe a topical steroid cream if it is a contact dermatitis, or localized skin allergic reaction.

A bacterial infection like SwatSurgeon is describing could be more serious and steroids would only worsen, hence the importance of seeing someone who has a clue.

As an aside, was she wading in water, wearing water shoes, standing in flood water? History is important. While the management may not be different it's helpful to do some detective work and figure out what caused it to PREVENT it from happening again if possible.

For example I got a terrible hive-type rash on my chest, armpits, and inside of my arms while surfing, so much that it ruined my vacation and I couldn't sleep for days. After seeing a Dermatologist and being diagnosed with, you guess it "Contact Dermatitis", I was disappointed with the vague diagnosis and did my own research. Turns out it was likely "Sea-bathers eruption" from jelly-fish larvae and the "rash-guard" I was wearing while surfing was what allowed the larvae to get trapped against my skin and sting me. :) No more rash guards in late summer, I'd rather deal with the chaffing.

Just scrape it with a wire brush and pour bleach on it. Kill or cure. :D:lifter:D