A deadly, “brain-eating” microbe has been found in the water supply system of Lake Jackson, Texas, USA, the BBC reports.
Residents are warned not to use water from taps.
Previous tests have found the deadly bacterium Naegleria Fowleri, also known as the ‘brain-eating amoeba’, in the city’s water supply.
Amoeba can cause a brain infection that is usually fatal. Between 2009 and 2018, 34 such infections were reported in the United States.
Lake Jackson City has a population of approximately 27,000. Authorities have warned that the deadly bacterium is particularly dangerous for children, seniors and people with weakened immunity.
Officials have announced that the city’s water supply system is currently being cleaned. Tests will then be performed to make sure the water can be used safely.
The city’s water supply investigation began after a six-year-old boy died of an amoebic brain infection in early September.
Naegleria Fowleri occurs naturally in freshwater and is found all over the world. The bacterium enters the human body through the nose and then enters the brain.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the most common way to get an infection is to go swimming or diving. People cannot become infected by drinking contaminated water. The center also emphasizes that the bacterial infection cannot be transmitted from person to person.
Infected people usually experience symptoms such as fever, nausea and vomiting, stiff neck and headache. Most die within a week.
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