Louisiana health officials have confirmed that the so-called “brain-eating amoeba” Naegleria fowleri has been found in a water sample obtained in the drinking water system of Terrebonne Parish, local media outlets reported earlier this week.
The amoeba was found in a water sample obtained from Terrebonne Consolidated Waterworks District No. 1, the Terrebonne Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness told WDSU in New Orleans on Tuesday. Officials added that they would begin a 60-day chlorine burn in order to eliminate the microbes still in the system.
This marks the third time that Naegleria fowleri has been found in Louisiana water this summer, according to NOLA.com. The latest positive test, which found at the last hydrant on Island Road in Pointe Aux Chenes (near Montegut) on August 5, follows discoveries at St. Bernard Parish in late July and Ascension Parish approximately one week beforehand.
Officials note that the brain-eating amoeba occurs naturally in freshwater and can make its way into a person’s home through water distribution systems. Water containing Naegleria fowleri is actually safe to drink, but experts caution to avoid getting any in their noses, as this could lead to amebic meningoencephalitis, an infection that can cause brain tissue to be destroyed.
What you need to know about Naegleria fowleri
On the surface, it might seem that three separate confirmations of this brain-eating amoeba in the same state is cause for concert, NOLA.com pointed out that it is also the side-effect of improved testing methods from the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH). After the deaths of three people in the state since 2011, the agency enacted stricter testing methods.
Since they had been finding it more difficult to detect the amoeba using previous methods, DHH switched to a technique that involves 100 liters of water over the course of an hour, followed by a microscopic inspection of sediment trapped by the filter, the local news outlet explained. These methods were enacted after Louisiana health officials asked scientists in Australia how they were able to address a similar problem in that country.
Furthermore, DHH official (citing information from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) said that there are several steps that people can take to reduce the risk of Naegleria fowleri infection. For instance, they should make sure that water does not go up their noses when taking baths or showers, run water for five minutes to flush the pipe before bathing or showering, and make sure that children do not play with hoses or sprinklers unless supervised.
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