Brain-Eating Amoeba Found in Louisiana Water
A brain-eating amoeba has been found in Louisiana water. According to the Louisiana Department of Health and hospitals, the deadly Naegleria fowleri amoeba was found in the water system of St. John the Baptist parish, which supplies water to three towns with a population of around 12, 500.
The amoeba can cause a deadly form of meningitis characterized by swelling of the brain and surround tissue. Fortunately, the amoeba cannot be contracted by drinking the contaminated water but only by inhaling water – the amoeba travels through the nose to the brain. Symptoms of an infection from Naegleria fowleri include headache, fever and nausea. As the disease progresses, infected people can have seizures, altered mental status, hallucinations and slip into a coma. There are no reports of anyone being infected with the amoeba.
Officials have not been able to pinpoint the source of the contamination, but say they found chlorine levels to be low, which could have made the water vulnerable to contamination. They intend to flush the water system with high levels of chlorine to kill the pathogen for 60 days; in the meantime, the water is still considered safe to drink but people should take care not to inhale the water when bathing and swimming. More….
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