Brain-eating amoeba detected in drinking water in the USA
In the US state of Texas, authorities have warned residents of the city of Lake Jackson not to use tap water because the deadly brain-eating amoeba (Naegleria fowleri) is mixed with tap water.
The authorities, who asked residents not to use tap water, reported that the danger is great and that contaminated drinking water will cause death.
Last July, Florida Health Department (DOH) stated that the person living in Hillsborough region was infected with brain-eating amoeba.
“Most patients die within a week”
‘People caught with Naegleria fowleri have symptoms such as high fever, nausea and vomiting, as well as neck stiffness and headache.
Because the disease progresses very rapidly, people with these symptoms should immediately apply to health institutions.
Most patients usually die within a week.
Amoeba is transmitted through the nose
Micro-scale and single-celled Naegleria fowleri enter the human body through the nose, which can infect the brain and can often be fatal.
The amoeba, which is mostly found in fresh waters such as lakes, rivers and canals, does not pass from person to person.
34 cases in the USA in 2009-2018
According to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Naegleria fowleri infections are rare in the country.
In the country, only 34 cases were encountered in 2009-2018. Of these, 30 were caused by recreational water, 3 from dirty tap water drawn into the nose, and one from dirty tap water used on a water slide installed in the garden.
