Swimming hole/pond. My son's allergy.

[epidemic]

Well I have a problem. My son age 5 has been getting a rash every time he swims in our pond. To date no one else has ever had this problem. A few years ago I noticed a couple of cute little fresh water clams in the pond and I am considering them my scapegoat for the problem.

His allergy appears to be similar to swimmers itch and swimmers itch is associated with snails. (I do not think I have ever seen snails in any quantity in my pond) But the relationship between swimmers itch parasite and mollusks seems to possibly be related. Long and short I am considering wiping out the clam population out of my 70,000 + gallon natural pond.

I have several concerns, of course if I wipe out the population of clams in this manner (lets say over the winter) the ponds natural balance of aquatic life will be thrashed. I am afraid bad bacteria and micro organisms will take the place and create a stagnant pool of yuck.

I don't know what I am saying just thinking. Any thoughts of how I can targeted kill my fresh water clams without wiping out all life?

 

[dieselplower]

Can you catch a clam and test it on him out of the water? Might be the worst idea ever but seems reasonable lol

 

[epidemic]

I don't suspect he is allergic to shell fish. It is a micro organism associated with mollusks.

he loves to eat clams.

 

[sissy]

have you had the water tested to see if it is something getting into the pond .Reason I ask as a kid my parents bought a farm and there was a natural fed spring going into it and the first time I went in it two weeks after we moved in I broke out and parents took me to the doctor and turned out on an area of the pond there was poison ivy and it was spring and it was putting up sap and we found that out after weeks of testing me and then my father tested the water .Sure info it was in the pond from either sap or pollen ,not sure .I was 9 years old .My dad killed off all the ivy and treated the pond and no problems after that .Al I remember is it was an itchy rash and I was highly allergic to poison ivy .Cost a lot for all those tests also .We lived in that house until I was over 30 and never a problem after that .Even my kids went in it .Could something have run into the pond like fertilizers .I know here all farms need barriers for run off because of the nutrients running into the Chesapeake Bay

 

[sissy]

My brother in law lives there and works for norfolk southern .

 

[HARO]

Can you catch a clam and test it on him out of the water? Might be the worst idea ever but seems reasonable lol

Sounds more reasonable than committing clamicide on the off chance that might be the cause.
John

 

[ALLINKDUP]

do you know what schistosomes are....??? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schistosomiasis you should REALLY read this.....Billy

 

[dieselplower]

Now lets not scare anyone. Seriously. That link lists the places where that can be found and North America is not on the list.

 

[ALLINKDUP]

My wife worked at at LeBonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis,in North America, for 18 yrs and yes, schistomiasis is in our country as well...just not nearly as rampant as other countries...here is one example http://www.bukisa.com/articles/244441_examing-two-case-studies-about-schistosomiasis and just because we aren't a 3rd world country doesn't make us immune to this problem....Billy

 

[dieselplower]

I did not say it was a third world problem. You posted a link which gave a list of places where the disease was found. North America was not on the list. I guess it is not a very good list. Thats Wikipedia for ya huh? Thanks for the additional info. I hope that isn't the problem!

 

[ALLINKDUP]

My bad for posting a faux pas...lol...I would hope not as well deiselpower...but a lot of things are internal and show systemically starting from the outside...to the inside....I always thought I wanted to dive in Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika until I saw pics of the human victims..of some snail flukes.....and those NIle Perch...whew doggie...Billy
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