Brain-eating amoeba found again in Louisiana water district

Associated Press

Naegleria fowleri lifecycle stages

Photo courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

HOUMA, La. (AP) — A potentially deadly brain-eating amoeba has been found again in Terrebonne Parish.

The Courier reports independent testing returned positive results for Naegleria fowleri, which causes fatal brain swelling and tissue destruction, in Pointe-aux-Chenes. The Terrebonne Consolidated Waterworks District issued the notification Sunday and has temporarily switched to a different disinfectant to kill the organism.

Last June, Terrebonne Parish’s water system tested positive for the amoeba in Isle de Jean Charles, where it had also been found in 2015.

“Normally we see this amoeba in surface water when people go swimming and they get it way up in their sinuses and they’ll get an infection,” said Jimmy Guidry, Louisiana Department of Health’s medical director. “They’ll start getting symptoms that are similar to meningitis.”

Consolidated Waterworks’ general manager, Mike Sobert, said it began using a 60-day pure chlorine wash on Friday to kill the microbes. It will test the water in two weeks to ensure it’s eradicated. Sobert said the agency had planned to temporarily switch to the pure chlorine for the summer, which has been its practice for the past three years.

Most infections occur during the summer months in southern-tier states because the organism thrives in warmer waters, but it can also occur in northern regions as well, the CDC says.

An infection from the organism is rare, but it is almost always deadly, Guidry said. From 1962 to 2016, there were 143 reported cases, out which only four people survived. In Louisiana, two residents died in 2011 after using neti pots to rinse out their noses, and a 4-year-old boy died in 2013 after spending hours playing in a Slip ‘N Slide in hot and muddy conditions.

“It’s not just getting water in your nose, it’s getting water way up in your nose where the water burns,” said Guidry, explaining that almost everyone who swims in public waters is exposed to the microbe, but very few get infections.

The onset of the disease typically begins within five days and includes symptoms such as headaches, fever and nausea. Later symptoms include hallucinations, loss of balance and seizures, according to the CDC.

To prevent an infection, the CDC advises to prevent from water going up the nose during showers or when washing your face, to avoid submerging your head under water when bathing, to supervise children playing with sprinklers or hoses and to avoid Slip ‘N Slides and other activities that make it hard to stop water from going into the nasal cavity.

The Lafourche Parish Water District also advises residents in the Marydale neighborhood, Grand Bois community and the Romero area to follow the same guidelines because it purchases water from Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Waterworks to service them.

___

Information from: The Courier, http://www.houmatoday.com

SportsPlus

life

Gettin’ jiggy wit it — Irish dance style

Local News

Family fabric: Quilting exhibition offers insight to generations of storytelling, culture and artistry

life

McNeese president’s honor list announced for fall 2024 semester

life

Walls can talk: Artist says art is essence of humanity

McNeese Sports

Selling a winning pitch

Local News

House committee address citizen concerns over carbon sequestration in Louisiana

Jim Beam

Jim Beam column:Don’t worry. Trump is fixer

Local News

Mayor talks progress, what’s ahead for the city

Local News

EMS Academy, Acadian Ambulance will be offering EMT classes in LC

Local News

City Council candidates for District C state their views

Local News

Capstone at the Oaks senior living complex nearing completion

Local News

FBI says it found 2,400 new JFK assassination records

McNeese Sports

Baseball Preview: Putting pieces in place

McNeese Sports

Shumate rallies Cowboys by ETAM

Business

Trump raises tariffs on aluminum and steel to 25%

Crime

Sheriff issues warrant for Texas man accused of theft

Local News

Parish facility management team strengthening building infrastructure

Crime

LC woman killed in crash with intoxicated driver

Local News

If FEMA didn’t exist, could states handle the disaster response alone?

life

Program uses locally grown produce to help students with healthier eating habits

Crime

2/10: Calcasieu Parish Sheriff announces arrest list

Local News

Trump says he has directed US Treasury to stop minting new pennies, citing rising cost

Local News

Eagles deny Chiefs a three-peat

Local News

Trump says he is serious about Canada becoming 51st state