In the state of Texas, authorities have to deal with a microorganism that is rapidly causing brain disease. A child has lost his life and an entire town can barely use running water.
With the current Covid-19 pandemic, giant wildfires and a complicated presidential election, the news in the United States is rather hectic. A CBS News article published on September 28, 2020 also reports a disaster affecting the state of Texas. The US media has indeed reported the death of a six-year-old girl . The cause is a very dangerous microorganism, an amoeba known as Naegleria fowleri .
This amoeba can cause primary amoebic meningoencephalitis. This is a disease that attacks the brain very quickly, the outcome of which is fatal in more than 90% of cases . Developing mainly in natural and artificial lukewarm and stagnant fresh water, this micro-organism infects humans only by entering through their noses. Regarding the death of the girl, her parents indicated that she had played in a pond as well as with a garden hose at the family home located in the town of Lake Jackson.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says it has tested both water sources. However, each contained traces of the deadly amoeba. The authorities therefore speak of a contamination of the distribution system running water. A commission quickly convened in Texas and strongly advised against the use of running water in eight towns in the southeast of the state, including Lake Jackson.
The authorities subsequently lifted the alert in all of these towns except Lake Jackson. The 30,000 inhabitants of this city must therefore be very careful when it comes to using running water. They are forced to boil water before drinking or cook. They should also keep children away from faucets. Above all, citizens must be careful not to inhale water through their nose, especially when washing. The authorities organized distributions of drinking water. Finally, the alert will remain in effect while cleaning and testing the system again water supply.
The presence of this microorganism remains fairly rare in the United States . The first time it was observed was in 2011 in the state of Louisiana. In a decade, the amoeba infected 34 people in the country. Remember that the species Naegleria fowleri is found much more abundantly in tropical and subtropical areas as well as in Oceania.
