BRAIN EATING AMOEBA FOUND IN SECOND LOUISIANA WATER SYSTEM

 

Louisiana has a big problem, whose cause has minute dimensions: A brain eating amoeba has now been found in a second water system in the State.

The finding is very alarming, since the amoeba can travel through the mucosae of the mouth to the brain, where it literally 'eats' the brain, and causes a painful, horrible death. 

The amoeba, known scientifically as Naegleria Fowleri, has killed three people since the beginning of the year.  The new findings are scattered in the De Soto Parish, in Louisiana.  

The alarm was sounded when a four year died after being infected by the monocellular parasite in St. Bernard's Parish, during the month of August. 

The CDC has ordered Louisiana health authorities to step up the fight against the parasite. One of the recommendations is that the water authorities increase the chlorine based disinfectant used, to ensure that the parasite is killed. 

The level necessary to control the amoeba has been determined to be .5 mg per liter throughout.  However, these levels are higher than the safety standards recommended by the EPA.   The CDC officials, nonetheless, say that such measure is needed to ensure that the parasite is defeated. 

The infection of the boy in St. Bernard's Parish constituted the first ever time that the parasite was contracted from a public water system.  Usually, infections remain rare, and are relegated to ponds, or brackish water in lakes and rivers. 

The infection with the amoeba has an almost 100% rate of death.  Only 3 people have been known to survive of the 130 infection that have been recorded in the U.S.  

Drinking the water is not dangerous.  To get the infection, the water must get into the nose, where the amoeba attaches itself to the olfactory nerve, where it rides to the brain.  

The reason for the presence of the parasite is to date, unknown. 

Source : NBC/Live Science/ 10.11.13