Sun worshippers may have to think twice before cooling off at the beach - sea lice have been reported on local beaches, sending many swimmers to the emergency room with mysterious rashes.

The Royal Gazette has received several reports from local bathers and divers suffering from itchy stings and lesions which developed after they went swimming in local waters.

One member of the Bermuda Sub-Aqua Club receiving more than 100 stings after diving off the East End of the Island and swimming at Elbow Beach on Friday

Tudor Smith, a local diver, said that he initially thought that dozens of "wretched stings" which appeared around his waist were mosquito bites but a friend pointed out that they could have been caused by jellyfish larvae - also known as sea lice.

Though Mr. Smith said that "he can't conclude it's sea lice" the appearance of the rash, which was located at the waist band of his swimming trunks, coincided with numerous other reports of burning, itching rashes which have been appearing recently on swimmers normally a day after they go swimming in local waters.

Last night a supervising nurse at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital confirmed that about ten people had been treated at the emergency room for sea lice rashes, all of whom had been discharged.

But Jamie Pedro, the Life Guard Superintendent at the Department of Parks said that, although the life guards have received warnings of the sea lice, "we haven't seen any outbreaks. We haven't had any first aids (to treat sea lice rashes)."

Royal Gazette reporter Robyn Bardgett may have been another victim of the stinging jelly fish larvae, which have seasonally affected parts of Florida and the Caribbean for decades. Ms Bardgett said: "I felt my chest itching while I was in the water at Elbow Beach but it wasn't until a couple of days later that a rash broke out more on my chest.

"I was wearing a full piece bathing suit and I think the extra lining over my chest had probably caught the sea lice. There were also a lot of jellyfish floating while I was in the water but they didn't sting."

Mr. Smith also said that he had noticed jellyfish while he was swimming saying that he "bumped into something soft and gooey" at Elbow Beach. An e-mail sent out by The Bermuda Sub-Aqua Club warning local divers about the danger cites a report by two medical professionals from Florida.

The report says the rashes are not caused by real sea lice, which are fish parasites, but larvae of a non-stinging jellyfish.

"It appears that the larval form of linche unqui culata, also know as the `thimble jellyfish' is responsible for the outbreaks. The suspect organism appears like a speck of finely ground pepper. Its size is approximately that of a pinhead floating on the surface layers of the water." wrote Dr. Robert S. Tomchik and Mary Russell, a registered nurse, in the report. "The bathing suits worn by swimmers apparently trap larvae, with the fabric acting in a similar fashion to a net."

The report goes on to say that the friction caused by bathing suits or swim caps triggers the larvae's stinging cells, which causes the rashes which appear underneath clothing worn in the water.

According to the report, the symptoms of the sting of the micro organism, which is also known as sea bather's eruption, sea poisoning and ocean itch, include lesions which can vary from barely visible to blistering and can last for several weeks. The lesions are extremely itchy and can be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, muscle spasms and headaches. According to the report the best treatment for the skin ailments is an antihistamine for the itching and the application of an over-the counter 0.5 percent hydrocortisone cream to the rash areas.

If a bather suspects they've been stung they should wash the affected areas with salt water. Swimmers are also advised to avoid areas where there have been known cases of sea lice. According to the Florida report, it is possible to see the adult jellyfish earlier in the season, but once they have finished spawning the adults die. The larvae will continue to cause the rash outbreaks, but are far harder to detect.

Swimmers are also cautioned not to wear one piece bathing suits and t-shirts in the water, as the increased surface area of the clothing can trap more larvae.

The Bermuda Zoological Society has issued warnings to lifeguards.