Traces of a deadly brain-eating amoeba were found in a water system in a parish in Louisiana this month, but officials said the water is safe to consume.

The brain-eating amoeba, called Naegleria fowleri is a “single-celled living organism found in warm freshwater and soil,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The amoeba spawns primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), an infection in the brain that causes the eradication of brain tissue.

The Louisiana Department of Health told water and town officials Thursday that the amoeba was detected in Terrebonne Parish, according to the New York Post. In a statement, the Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Water District 1 said the amoeba was found in “our ACR-182, last fire hydrant on Island Road.”

The water district said the organism was found in the same location that also tested positive in Aug. 2015.

“We changed disinfectants on June 12, 2017, to a free chlorine, and will remain on free chlorine until September 1, 2017,” the statement said.

The office confirmed that the water is safe to drink but cautioned residents not to let the water go up their nose.

http://www.foxnews.com/health/...r-officials-say.html

And only one of the reasons I don't water board myself with a Netti pot.

Several other reasons comes from being in Water/Wastewater Engineering.

and there's more.

Always use distilled water in a netti pot, always.

Well now...that explains a lot.

quote:

Brain-eating amoeba found in Louisiana drinking water

Update: The amoeba died of starvation!!


I keed, I keed! I spent several years in Louisiana one summer

quote:

Originally posted by olfuzzy:
The office confirmed that the water is safe to drink but cautioned residents not to let the water go up their nose.

Yeah sure buddy. I'd be demanding some extra disinfectants and a DAILY flushing of the water hydrants to prevent stagnation.

I thought Terrebonne Parish sounded familiar.

Swamp People:

^^^^ Them boys be crazy!

If a Gator comes to find me, that's one thing. But there's no way in hell, I'm gonna go looking for them!

Was just talking about that amoeba last weekend with the couple who were staying at my house. The wife is a doctor, and the husband is a CPAP user. He was going to fill up his CPAP humidifier with tap water, and she commented about the brain eating amoeba. No worries as I keep distilled water on hand for netipots (Houston is so humid I quit using my CPAP humidifier).

This message has been edited. Last edited by: tatortodd,

quote:

Originally posted by BamaJeepster:

quote:

Brain-eating amoeba found in Louisiana drinking water

Update: The amoeba died of starvation!!


I keed, I keed! I spent several years in Louisiana one summer

.

From 1962 to 2016 there were 143 cases, total, of primary amebic meningoencephalitis in the United States. (Per CDC)

That's an average of about 2.6 cases per year.

NOAA estimates there are about 51 lightning strike fatalities per year in the United States.

So you are literally 20 times more likely to die by being struck by lightning than from the brain eating amoeba.

It just doesn't seem like it is worth worrying about.

So, they haven't cleaned up since Katrina, eh?

quote:

Originally posted by maladat:
It just doesn't seem like it is worth worrying about.

Unless of course you live in Louisiana and drink the water.

I don't stand out in the middle of a field during a lighting storm either.