'Sea Lice' Are Not What They Seem On Eastern Shore

The Ocean City Beach Patrol announced this week that the deceptively named "sea lice" are no longer an issue in the area. The report came the week after beachgoers in Ocean City, Maryland, and the Delaware beaches were feeling the sting of something strange in their suits.

Despite their nickname, the irritants in the water are not insects.

It "was really larva," the Ocean City Beach Patrol reported.

Swimmers in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, felt what they thought were tiny jellyfish or pieces of sand stinging them in the water. Those who gave the "sea lice" a closer inspection, however, could see a tinge of iridescence and tiny claws unfurling.

The "sea lice" were actually crab larvae, the Ocean City Beach Patrol told WJZ.

"They can get into bathing suits while swimming and cause discomfort," the Ocean City Beach Patrol advised. "Our best advice is to rinse with fresh water."

The larvae feel like they are stinging or biting, and can be hand-picked off the body.

A rash called sea bather's eruption can appear after contact with the creatures.

Reactions to the larvae stings include fever, headache, nausea and infected blisters. Children can also develop high fevers.

Itching and skin irritation can be treated with an over-the-counter 1 percent cortisone skin cream, according to health officials, and an oral antihistamine like Benadryl may help as well. If these remedies don't provide relief within a few days, people should call their primary care physician or dermatologist.

— Patch editor Deb Belt contributed.

RELATED:

• Sea Lice Outbreak Makes Ocean City Beach-Goers Miserable
• NJ Beachgoers Feel The Sting Of Sea Lice

Photos of "sea lice" removed from a bathing suit and placed on a flip-flop at Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, by Elizabeth Janney.