The in Benzie County has worked for five years to reduce the likelihood of swimmer’s itch.
Now, this year, their efforts are suspended due to the increasing threat of Avian Flu.
“The control project is really great to capture and relocate the Merganser ducks, which are the host for the particular parasite,” said Crystal Lake and Watershed Association President Dave Wynne. “We then relocate them to DNR approved sites where they can live, but not affect humans.”
The Association has been doing the swimmer’s itch control since 2017.
Concerns for the spread of Avian Flu has forced the Michigan DNR to cancel their capture and release permits.
“We understand why they’ve done it and the abundance of caution to prevent the spread of Avian Flu, obviously we’re very disappointed,” said Wynne. “We’re just going to have to go without trapping and relocating this year, and that’s going to cause an uptick in the incidence of swimmers itch, this year and probably into next year.”
When the Merganser ducks are not trapped, the cycle of swimmer’s itch parasite continues.
“The adults will have this parasite already,” said Wynne. “When they defecate in the water, they infect the snails, and when the snails get infected then they get overloaded and release a whole bunch of parasites into the water that go looking for another duck to inhabit. The ducklings will get heavily infected or if they find a person, the parasite tries to burrow in.”
Wynne said the Association understands why they have to hold off on the control project this year, and they hope to continue it next year.
“Our own grandkids wouldn’t swim in Crystal Lake for a couple of years because of the fear of getting swimmers itch,” he said. “When we got it knocked down, it was reduced by over 95% with this control process in place, then the kids came back, the swimmers volume went up, and everything was great. We hope we can resume the process next year.”
In the meantime, Wynne said they have some suggestions on avoid swimmer’s itch.
“The best thing for you to do is to wear a tight shirt, if you can, in the water, avoid going in the morning, because that’s when you’ll have the most of it, and avoid an on shore wind,” he said.
The Michigan DNR released a statement about this decision:
Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus is affecting birds throughout North America, with detections in backyard flocks and commercial poultry facilities in 34 states and detections in wild birds in 35 states to date. HPAI is highly contagious and poultry are especially vulnerable. In addition, this viral strain also affects waterfowl, raptors and scavengers. These groups of birds are particularly susceptible to the virus and high mortality rates have been reported. In Michigan, we have confirmed HPAI in 66 wild birds to date, with the outbreak continuing to spread throughout North America. HPAI has been identified in several species of wild birds in Michigan, including three hooded mergansers. Mergansers have also tested positive in other states including Florida, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, New York, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Some wild birds get sick and die, while others may be infected with HPAI and show no signs of illness.
The DNR developed a Common Merganser Control Program in response to several northern Michigan lakes wanting to address swimmer’s itch concerns. Previous research found an association between Common Mergansers and the lifecycle of one species of parasite causing swimmer’s itch. Under the program and following procedures, lakes may apply for permits for capturing and relocating Common Merganser hens and their broods to approved sites. However, because wild bird movement can carry the disease to new areas, potentially exposing domestic poultry and vulnerable wild birds to the virus, the Department has canceled the capture and relocation of Common Mergansers for 2022. Relocation has the risk of transporting HPAI around the state and facilitating the spread of the virus. It is crucial that we all work together to keep Michigan’s domestic and wild bird populations healthy and safe.
This virus primarily affects birds, but it is important to remember that it can be a zoonotic disease or a disease transmitted from domestic or wild animals to humans. We ask that the general public avoid handling any sick or dead wild birds. We welcome reports or observations of sick or dead wild birds to local field offices or calling the Wildlife Disease Lab at 517-336-5030. We also encourage reports through the DNR’s Eyes in the Field app. Choose the “diseased wildlife” reporting option. For more information, please visit our website at
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