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Seabather's eruption
1Office of Marine Ecology, Nassau County Department of Health, Mineola, N.Y.
The New England Journal of Medicine
|August 19, 1993
Summary
Seabather's eruption, a skin rash, has been linked to planula larvae of the sea anemone Edwardsiella lineata. These outbreaks, previously rare in northern climates, occurred in Long Island, New York.
Area of Science:
- Marine Biology
- Dermatology
- Environmental Health
Background:
- Seabather's eruption is a pruritic dermatitis affecting skin covered by swimwear.
- Previously reported sporadically in Florida and the Caribbean, its cause remained unknown.
Observation:
- A study in Nassau County, Long Island, investigated water-related dermatitis from 1970-1991.
- Increased surveillance in 1980 identified an epidemic of severe dermatitis in ocean bathers.
- Planula larvae of Cnidaria were collected from water, beaches, and bathing suits.
Findings:
- Three major outbreaks of seabather's eruption occurred on Long Island in 1975, 1980, and 1990.
- Larvae were present during swimming seasons in epidemic years and absent in non-epidemic years.
- Exposing healthy subjects to larvae produced a dermatitis identical to seabather's eruption, with larvae identified as Edwardsiella lineata.
Implications:
- Seabather's eruption can occur in northern climates, over 1000 miles from typical locations.
- The planula larvae of Edwardsiella lineata are identified as the probable cause of these Long Island outbreaks.
- This finding expands the known geographical range and etiological understanding of seabather's eruption.