Lesson of the Week: Seabather's eruption—a case of Caribbean itch
Seabather's eruption is an intensely pruritic dermatitis that occurs after exposure to seawater and affects the areas of the body covered by swimwear. It has probably existed for centuries, but formal reports of it are relatively recent.1 With the increasing popularity of foreign travel, seabather's eruption is likely to be seen more often in patients returning from tropical climes. Larvae of species belonging to the phylum Cnidaria—which comprises jellyfish, corals, sea anemones, and hydra—have been implicated as the cause of this condition.2 3 4 The members of this phylum share a similar stinging mechanism, which is mediated by subcellular organelles called nematocysts. We report two recent cases of seabather's eruption caused by the larvae of thimble jellyfish (Linuche unguiculata).

Seabather's eruption should be suspected if there is a history of exposure to seawater followed by the appearance of a papular, pruritic rash affecting the areas covered by the swimsuit

In May a 31 year old accountant and her husband travelled to Cancun, on the Caribbean coast of Mexico, for their honeymoon. On the last day of the trip they took a final swim in the ocean, and within minutes of entering the water they became aware of a …
Seabather's eruption in Ipanema Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
In January 2017, a 28-year-old man presented with a 1-day history of burning and itching cutaneous lesions. He was concerned about the possibility of having acquired a communicable disease. The patient bathed and swam at Ipanema Beach (22°59′01′′S; 43°12′16′′W), Rio de Janeiro, the previous 4 consecutive days. On examination, around 30 erythematous papules and macules were distributed in a male swimwear pattern (Figure 1). No systemic symptoms were observed. A topical corticosteroid cream was prescribed, with complete remission of the lesions 1 week later. The rash was consistent with seabather’s eruption, a pruritic dermatitis occurring after contact with larvae of some marine animals, such as the thimble jellyfish Linuche unguiculata1. The planula larvae of this cnidarian are small enough (approximately 0.5mm) to pass through the fabric weaves of most swimwear and become trapped against the skin. External pressure or osmotic changes, including contact with freshwater, triggers the discharge of toxins by organelles called nematocysts. The diagnosis is established based on history of exposure to seawater followed by the appearance of rash in the peculiar topography of the areas covered by the bathing suit1. Possible preventive measures include the use of sunscreen under the swimwear, tight-weave (instead of open-weave) fabric, a female two-piece instead of one-piece swimsuit, and avoidance of T-shirts and showering with fresh water while wearing a contaminated suit. In Brazil, this marine envenomation is mainly reported in the coastal areas of São Paulo2 and Santa Catarina3 states. We are unaware of previous reports from the State of Rio de Janeiro.
Testing the Core Empirical Implications of Gottfredson and Hirschi's General Theory of Crime
In A General Theory of Crime, Gottfredson and Hirschi propose that low self-control, in interaction with criminal opportunity, is the major cause of crime. The research reported in this article attempts to test this argument while closely following the nominal definitions presented by Gottfredson and Hirschi. A factor analysis of items designed to measure low self-control is consistent with their contention that the trait is unidimensional. Further, the proposed interaction effect is found for self-reported acts of both fraud and force (their definition of crime). Inconsistent with the theory are (a) the finding that criminal opportunity has a significant main effect, beyond its interaction with low self-control, on self-reported crime and (b) the substantial proportion of variance in crime left unexplained by the theoretical variables. Suggestions are offered for modifying and expanding the theory.