Swimmer’s itch cases reported at Jensen’s Grove, city of Blackfoot responds to concerns

The city of Blackfoot is addressing concerns over swimmer’s itch after several people reported breaking out in hives after swimming in Jensen’s Grove.

“This is my leg after swimming 20 minutes in Jensen Grove,” Yvonne Hoban Mortensen wrote on Facebook with a picture of her leg covered in red hives.

According to the Mayo Clinic, swimmer’s itch is most common in slow-moving freshwater lakes and ponds where there is a large amount of waterfowl. It is caused by “an allergic reaction to parasites that burrow into your skin while you’re swimming or wading in warm water.”

In a Facebook post Saturday, the city of Blackfoot said it had received several comments about people getting swimmer’s itch after swimming at the lake.

“With the Snake River as high as it was, a high flow rate of water circulation wasn’t possible,” the city said in its post. “Now that the Snake River is lower, we are circulating water through Jensen’s Grove as rapidly as possible to help reduce the problem of swimmer’s itch.”

The city said signs are posted at the lake warning swimmers of the possibility of getting swimmer’s itch. They encourage anyone who enters the water to rinse off immediately to “reduce, or completely eliminate” the chance of getting swimmer’s itch.

Swimmer’s itch typically clears up on its own within a week, according to the Mayo Clinic. The hospital recommends using over-the-counter antihistamines or anti-itch creams that contain calamine to help with the itching.