Over 500 fishermen have been placed in quarantine after they contracted a mysterious skin disease following return from the sea.

The workers contracted the infectious disease in Senegal, which is located in West Africa.

They got it once they were back on dry land.

The fishermen were left with lesions on their faces.

Some fishermen said that they had lesions on their genitals.

The fishermen came back after fishing at several towns around Dakar, the capital.

They have been placed in quarantine for observation and treatment.

A first case of the disease was reported last week.

Images that were shared on social media shows the men with swollen and blistered lips.

They also have large pimples on their hands.

Officials were left scratching their heads over what caused the skin infection.

A senior government health official in the country confirmed the puzzling situation on Thursday this week.

Ousmane Gueye, the national director of health information and education, released a statement about the incident and said:

It’s a dermatitis associated with an infectious disease. We are checking further and hope to find out soon what it is.

The navy of Senegal will be taking part in the investigation.

It was announced that the navy will be sent to take water samples from the sea for detailed analysis.

A ministry of health report that was released on November 17, 2020, said that the men that were infected by the infectious disease had lesions on their faces, extremities, and genitals.

High temperatures, headaches, and pimples are the 3 most common symptoms of the disease.

A preliminary investigation found that the first reported case belonged to a 20-year-old fisherman.

The fisherman had symptoms that included a non-generalized vesicular rash, swelling of the face, redness of the eyes, and dry lips.

The outbreak of the disease has caused severe anxiety amongst health officials.