Brain-Eating Amoeba Discovered in Louisiana Plumbing System

By Jillian MacMath, September 14, 2013

An investigation is underway to determine how a rare brain-eating amoeba found its way into a plumbing system of a home in Louisiana, according to the Center for Disease Control.  A four-year-old boy from Mississippi became the fourth confirmed infection in 2013 of the amoeba, Naegleria fowleri, last week, after playing in water from the home in St. Barnard Parish, La.

The Department of Health and Hospitals in Louisiana has confirmed that the amoeba was found in the home's plumbing system. In previous cases, the CDC has linked the infections to warm water and drought conditions.  "When we go back and look at where exposure may have occurred, we see the infections occur where water levels are low or where there are drought conditions or after a heat wave," Dr. Jennifer Cope, medical epidemiologist at the CDC, told AccuWeather.com.

Naegleri fowleri is thermophillic, or heat-loving, and can thrive in temperatures higher than 100 degrees F…..To Read More….

My Take – Based on what’s in this article it would appear that almost everyone dies who contracts this affliction.  I hate it when articles are confusingly written.  The author tell us that there have been a “total of 128 infections.... between 1962 and 2012”.  If they all died except this 12 year old girl that sounds a bit scary, doesn’t it?  However, those figures average out to 2.56 cases a year.  Then the author tells us that “In the 10 years from 2003 to 2012, 31 infections were reported in the U.S.”  That comes to an average of 3.1 a year.  Then she tells us that “only one person has survived the infection this summer, 12-year-old Kali Hardig from Arkansas.”  I really hate sloppy journalism.  This article failed to inform readers of important information, such as; how many suffered this ailment this year?  How many have died this year?   How many died in previous years?  Did anyone survive before this 12 year old girl?  Was the water systems treated with chlorine?   Does chlorine kill this amoeba?  If so, at what level? 

Then again, perhaps I have an incorrect view of what journalism is all about.  I think it should be about informing the public truthfully.  Journalist feel it’s about sensationalism.  In reality I probably should be grateful they didn’t try and blame pesticides for this.