Could rare brain-eating amoeba thrive in Irma’s aftermath?.
As the water sits in aged pipes in the summer heat, the chlorine used to kill microorganisms in public water evaporates, and parasites like Naegleria fowleri can thrive.
Florida is already tied with Texas for the most Naegleria fowleri cases in the country, and damage from Hurricane Irma may put the public at even greater risk.
Tap water and pool water are less commonly contaminated but cause a large proportion of human infections.
Water contaminated with Naegleria fowleri is actually perfectly safe to drink (as long as there’s nothing else in it that could make you sick), but you could become infected if the water enters your nasal passages.
Children are particularly vulnerable to infection, and documented sources of infection include the use of neti pots and playing and/or swimming in contaminated water.
When the amoeba enters the nasal passage, it works its way up the olfactory nerve and into the brain.
Symptoms are similar to those of bacterial meningitis and can be difficult to diagnose, but accurate diagnosis is key since antibiotics aren’t an effective treatment for PAM.
If you’re not sure that your water is safe (or if you know it’s contaminated), especially after a natural disaster, there are steps you can take to avoid infection.
(While contamination with Naegleria fowleri isn’t common, it’s also not the only thing out there that thrives in stagnant water and can make you sick.)