Texas,
USA – US city Texas have recently warned residents of not using tap water at
any way except of flushing a toilet because they found a “brain-eating microbe”
or “naegleria fowleri” organism on the water supply or water system. Being
infected by the microbe is deadly for it eats your brain or one will have the
so-called “naegleriasis” or “primary amoebic meningoencephalitis” disease. Symptoms
may include fever,headache,seizures,vomiting,hallucination,etc.;and within a
week the infected person die.
However,
according to the news, cases brought by the microbe is rare and not rampant as also
contamination of pubic treated water supply or water system.
The microorganism
according to the news and information in the internet, is found mostly on warm
freshwater, soil, hot springs, untreated swimming pools, lakes, rivers, ponds, etc.
The
microorganism invades human brain when one inhale it into the nose or when it
enters in the nose.
“Texas
officials have warned residents of some communities near Houston to stop using
tap water because it might be tainted with a deadly brain-eating microbe. The
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality warned the Brazosport Water Authority
late Friday of the potential contamination of its water supply by naegleria
fowleri. The commission issued an advisory warning people not to use tap water
for any reason except to flush toilets in Lake Jackson, Freeport, Angleton,
Brazoria, Richwood, Oyster Creek, Clute and Rosenberg. Those communities are
home to about 120,000 people. Also affected are the Dow Chemical works in
Freeport, which has 4,200 employees, and the Clemens and Wayne Scott state
prison units, which have 2,345 inmates and 655 employees.” (USA Today)
“Naegleria
fowleri is a free-living microscopic amoeba, or single-celled living organism
commonly found in warm freshwater and soil, according to the U.S Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention. It usually infects people when contaminated
water enters the body through the nose, from where it travels to the brain and
can cause a rare and debilitating disease called primary amebic
meningoencephalitis.”(USA Today)
“The
infection is usually fatal and typically occurs when people go swimming or
diving in warm freshwater places such as lakes and rivers. In very rare
instances, naegleria infections may also occur when contaminated water from
other sources (such as inadequately chlorinated swimming pool water or heated
and contaminated tap water) enters the nose.”(USA Today)
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Tap Water (image from Business Insider website)
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