Take care if you ’re head down to the Florida beach this summer , there ’s somethingunpleasant lurking in their waters . No , not Jaws . Or crocodile .
The Florida Department of Healthhas recently warned beachgoers about an “ eruption ” of bite microscopic " sea worm ” . The worst - affected beaches are in Pensacola , although it is potential the plague could make many beaches along 400 kilometre ( 250 miles ) of Florida ’s southern coastal area . The Department of Health said lifesaver will adhere up purple flags to alarm swimmers about the presence of sea louse .
Sea louse is just a slang name given to these nark critters . In South Florida ’s instance , they are actually the larval form of the thimble Portuguese man-of-war ( Linuche unqui culata ) . Although barely even seeable to the bare away , the larvae are able-bodied to sprout out nematocysts , thespecialized mobile phone in the tentacle of a jellyfish that take a barbed venomous hook .
Contact with the of nematocysts of these diminutive organisms will bring out a desperately itchy rash . As you may see from images of an affected person , it can get pretty foul . It ’s not strange to see over 100 stings on a single mortal ’s eubstance . Usually , the itchiness and irritation will answer within a hebdomad or so , however , some people can experience nausea , regurgitation , diarrhea , head ache , difficulty slumber , and muscle spasm . Not fun .
" They are n’t very intense , which is why we call them sea lice and not ocean hornets or ocean WASP , " Dave Greenwood , Pensacola Beach ’s director of public safety , told thePensacola News Journal .
“ It ’s just one of those you have to deal with when you go into the Gulf of Mexico . You are a estate animal and the Gulf is not our native environment . ”
If you ’re planning a trip to the beach in South Florida , the Department of Health has advised swimmers to not wear metric ton - shirts in the sea , as the ocean lice can easy get trap under clothing and really end up stinging you more . For that very reason , they are also recommending mass wear down as lean as potential swimsuits . Once you ’re out of the water , change out of your swimsuit ASAP and lavish with clean water .
The ocean dirt ball have hit Florida in previous years , with record of outbreaks date stamp back to as other as 100 geezerhood ago . Nevertheless , the eruptions of sea lice appear to have intensified in the last four years .
There was an Australian irruption of “ sea lice ” in August 2017 . In this case , it was a totally different species and they wereA LOT more aggressivebecause , you know , Australia .
