Louisiana Health officials report that the brain-eating amoeba called naegleria fowleri amoeba has been found in the state's water supply. (Photo : YouTube)
Louisiana health officials have verified that a deadly "brain-eating" amoeba has infected the water system of a parish in the southern state. The LA State Department of Health discovered the tiny organism in a sample station and has requested the parish to conduct a chlorine "burn" to kill the microorganism and remove it from the H20 supply.
The small community has agreed to comply. The Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) reported that two of the seven sites tested on the water system of the St. Bernard Parish, which serves 44,000 people, contained the naegleria fowleri creatures.
The amoeba strain can cause a rare brain disease known as primary amebic menigoencephalitis (PAM), according to Daily Times Gazette. PAM often lives on the ground, although it can also reside in warm freshwaters including hot springs, rivers, and lakes.
One positive test occurred at a water treatment plant. Meanwhile, a second one that met chlorine level requirements took place at a sampling station that groundwater could have contaminated, according to Pioneer News.
A chlorine burn would eliminate the microbe from the region's water lines. Testing for the amoeba strain is also occurring within a 225-mile radius.
DHH reported that tap water at St. Bernard is safe to consume. However, residents should prevent the water from entering their noses, as the bug can then travel to the brain.
The health department is holding for Naegleria fowleri lab test results from 12 other water systems. Each summer when air temperatures are high it conducts such inspections of drinking water systems.
