or at least a government which takes less responsibility, two people have died recently in Louisiana from tap water. This is not science fiction, but the people died from a brain-eating amoeba. It is as terrible as it sounds. The Times article seems to lay the blame on the people for using neti pots without properly sanitizing the water. However, if there is the amoeba, known as Naegleria fowleri, in the tap water, doesn’t that mean people and children can get it from taking a bath and/or taking a shower if the water gets into your nostrils.
Naegleria fowleri cannot survive in properly (sufficiently) chlorinated water. Compare that to southern Australia where they had the problem originally in the 1960s, they have not had a case since 1981.
To be fair, the Times article does a poor job of identifying the source of the tap water of the victims. However, as part of the program in Australia, proper education is also a contributing factor to reducing the risk to the general public. I’m sure the government is supporting the education.
Most cases of Naegleria fowleri come from swimming in lakes and other bodies of water. From the Australian article, tips for prevention are:
- avoid jumping or diving into bodies of warm fresh water or thermal pools
- keep your head above water in spas, thermal pools and warm fresh water bodies
- empty and clean small collapsible wading pools and let them dry in the sun after each use
- ensure swimming pools and spas are adequately chlorinated and well maintained
- flush stagnant water from hoses before allowing children to play with hoses or sprinklers
- if you are using unchlorinated water:
- don’t allow water to go up your nose when bathing, showering or washing your face
- supervise children playing with hoses or sprinklers and teach them not to squirt water up their nose
- potentially contaminated water should not be used for any form of nasal irrigation or nasal lavage including Neti (an Ayurvedic practice of nasal cleansing)
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