Nearby News: French Park Beach Closes in Plymouth, E-Coli Outbreak at Lake Minnetonka

According to the Three Rivers Park District website, the Medicine Lake swimming beach in French Regional Park in Plymouth "is temporarily closed due to swimmer's itch. It will reopen once it has been treated."

The closure happened July 19 and could go through Thursday, July 25. The treatment includes herbicide to remove plants and then copper sulfate treatment to treat the swimmer's itch parasite, which is last and will be done Wednesday, July 24. Swimming should not be done in the beach until 24 hours after that final treatment, according to Three Rivers Park District Communications Department staff.

Last August, the beach was closed for a short time because of high levels of bacteria. The bacteria tested at that time was for a non-pathogenic strain of E Coli commonly found at this time of the year, late summer, when water temperatures are high and birds like seagulls and/or Canadian geese are flying, roosting and molting.

The city of Plymouth has not closed any city-managed beaches, according to Communications Manager Helen LaFave. The city's swimming beaches are at Parker's Lake, West Medicine Lake and East Medicine Lake.

Swimmer's itch not an uncommon ailment that one can get from metro area lakes. It is cyclical and affects some, but not others for no particular reason.

According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website:
"Swimmer's itch is a skin rash that is caused by an allergic reaction to microscopic parasites that are carried by waterfowl, semi-aquatic mammals, and snails. As a part of their life cycle, these parasites are released by infected snails into the water. This is where they may come in contact with people and burrow into their skin."

LaFave said when the city of Plymouth gets reports of swimmers itch, posts are put up at the affected beach with a sign alerting people to the fact that swimmers itch has been reported. Some people have been known to swim in the posted lake anyway.

The city will hire a contractor to spray for it and the beach would remain posted for a few days following the spraying so it can take effect. But event after a lake gets treatment swimmer's itch can happen again due to its natural, cyclical nature.

LaFave said in late June, the city received reports of swimmer's itch at Parkers Lake, which was then treated June 28 and posted to let people know. The signs have since been removed and there have been no further reports of swimmer's itch there. 

City beaches are equipped with showers. To help prevent swimmers itch symptoms, swimmers should shower immediately after getting out of the lake. 

Swimmer's itch is not spread from person to person. Some people get red dots that itch and eventually go away. The MN DNR suggests not swimming near the shoreline and toweling off right away after swimming in a lake.

E-Coli Outbreak On Lake Minnetonka

(The following information was originally posted by Jay Corn.)

The source of the E. coli in the water is unknown. However, lakes can be contaminated through multiple methods, including animal waste, individual septic systems or sewage spills, improper boat waste disposal or ill swimmers.

State health officials have identified three cases of E. coli O157:H7 illness in Minnesotans linked to swimming in the Big Island area of Lake Minnetonka.

Routine reportable disease monitoring by state health officials identified three cases of E. coli infection with the same DNA fingerprint. The illnesses occurred in young adults, and all are residents of the seven-county metropolitan area. One of the cases was hospitalized but has since recovered. All of the cases reported swimming and boating on July 4 in the Big Island area of Lake Minnetonka, where numerous boaters are known to gather.

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