Swimmer's Itch Strikes Valley Aquatic Center

LOS ANGELES, CA — After more than 20 lifeguards complained about an itchy rash caused by parasites that burrow into the skin, a Los Angeles City Council member called Wednesday for better water quality testing the Hansen Dam Aquatic Center.

Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez called for better monitoring at the San Fernando Valley facilityafter the lifeguards were stricken with cercarial dermatitis, a condition known as "swimmer's itch." Swimmers bitten by the parasite develop an allergic reaction to the bite, triggering a rash. The parasites are carried by infected birds, mammals and snails living in freshwater lakes and ponds.

The infected lifeguards banded together this week to force the issue with a press conference and a union grievance. Several lifeguards held a news conference Tuesday, and the Service Employees International Union Local 721 filed a grievance against the city claiming that one of the lifeguards advised supervisors at the Recreation and Parks Department that the water in the Hansen Dam was dangerous and unsafe for the employees and the public due to the lack of adequate and regular testing of harmful parasites.

"Despite us lifeguards raising serious concerns about the water quality at the Hansen Dam Recreational Lake, we were simply ignored and told it was `safe' to go in during a mandatory open water skills testing on April 27. Lo and behold, 20 of us were immediately stricken with a nasty case of body rashes and had to seek immediate medical attention," said Jasper Kim, a 13- year veteran based out of the Hansen Dam Aquatic Center who said he has suffered severe rashes.

He added, "My body welted up with red bumps and blisters, which I still have not recovered from and I am currently taking medication for. Despite this troubling medical condition, I was told I could not use my sick days, and simply had to work in another part of the city as I recovered from the infection, or simply take a vacation."

Rodriguez's motion would direct the Department of Recreation and Parks and the Bureau of Sanitation to report to the City Council on their planned efforts to address the water quality concerns at the Hansen Dam Aquatic Center, including the type of testing that can be conducted to sooner identify the presence of the swimmer's itch parasite.

The motion also seeks information on the exact type of testing that was done in Hansen Dam prior to the April 27 swim recertification, and the results of the testing.

The Recreation and Parks Department said it scheduled the swimming tests after receiving confirmed water test results from the Los Angeles Sanitation Environmental Monitoring Division on April 24 that the water was safe for swimming.

"Our department seeks the highest quality conditions to ensure the public's safety and will continue to work with the affected employees to ensure they receive any care or work assistance," the Department of Recreation and Parks said in a statement. "The Citywide Aquatics Division tests is also requesting additional testing from the Los Angeles Sanitation Environmental Monitoring Division."

The department also said that it has "suspended all recreational water activities, with the exception of fishing, at the Hansen Dam Recreation Lake until such time proper notifications and education and prevention is made to the public who wish to utilize the HD Recreation Lake for recreational water activities such as swimming, boating, paddling, etc."

The lake is regularly closed to the public for swimming from October through May.

City News Service and Patch Staffer contributed to this report.