[StBernard] DHH Confirms Death of a Child Associated with Rare Amoeba Found in St. Bernard Parish Home

[Westley Annis]

DHH Confirms Death of a Child Associated with Rare Amoeba Found in St.
Bernard Parish Home

Initial tests of parish water system negative for Naegleria fowleri, State
and Parish taking precautions to protect the public

 

BATON ROUGE, La. - The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) has confirmed that a child who died from encephalitis, caused by the
Naegleria fowleri amoeba, contracted the illness while visiting a home in
St. Bernard Parish, the Department of Health and Hospitals announced
Thursday.

 

While water samples taken from the home tested positive for Naegleria
fowleri, initial tests of the parish water system are negative for Naegleria
fowleri. Because some DHH tests showed low levels of chlorine in some areas
of the system, the parish is taking preventative measures to flush its water
system and DHH will perform additional testing.  These actions are being
done out of an abundance of caution to ensure public safety.

 

Naegleria fowleri is a rare infection that has been associated with three
deaths traced to water in Louisiana since 2011. Two people died in 2011, in
addition to the death being announced today. The CDC confirmed that
Naegleria fowleri was the cause of the death after specialized testing was
conducted.

 

Assistant Secretary for Public Health J.T. Lane said, "We are working with
the parish to make sure precautionary measures are being taken while we
await additional test results on samples taken from the area's water
system." 

 

Parish President David Peralta said, "After notification from our state and
federal partners regarding this matter, we conducted immediate and
exhaustive testing of the entire water supply of St. Bernard Parish.  The
CDC's testing detected no evidence of the parasite, however out of abundance
of caution; steps were taken immediately to continue to ensure a safe water
supply in St. Bernard Parish.  We will continue enhanced monitoring and
testing of the water supply."

 

Using a common preventative maintenance measure, the parish began treating
its water system this afternoon with safe levels of additional chlorine and
flushing any trace of contaminants from the water system by pushing water
through the lines. During this time, the water may have a strong odor of
chlorine, may have a different taste and may have slight discoloration. The
water will remain safe to drink during this process. Naegleria fowleri
cannot be contracted through the act of drinking water.

 

Any actions taken by the St. Bernard water system are precautionary and
meant to protect public health in the parish. DHH is also conducting
additional testing and gathering additional water samples using specialized
equipment from CDC. Due to the rarity of this amoeba results may take up to
a month to confirm. State and local officials will use the test results to
guide future decisions about the water system in the parish.

 

According to the CDC, personal actions to reduce the risk of Naegleria
fowleri infection should focus on limiting the amount of water going up a
person's nose and lowering the chances that Naegleria fowleri may be in the
water.  For information on preventative measures, please visit the CDC
Website here: http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/naegleria/prevention.html 

 

ABOUT NAEGLERIA FOWLERI

 

Exposure to Naegleria fowleri typically occurs when people go swimming or
diving in warm freshwater lakes and rivers. In very rare instances,
Naegleria fowleri infections may also occur when contaminated water from
other sources (such as inadequately chlorinated swimming pool water or
heated tap water less than 116.6 degrees Fahrenheit) enters the nose when
people submerge their heads or when people irrigate their sinuses with
devices such as a neti pot. People cannot be infected with Naegleria fowleri
by drinking water.

 

Naegleria fowleri causes the disease primary amebic meningoencephalitis
(PAM), a brain infection that leads to the destruction of brain tissue. In
its early stages, symptoms of PAM may be similar to symptoms of bacterial
meningitis.

 

Initial symptoms of PAM start one to seven days after infection. The initial
symptoms include headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, and stiff neck. Later
symptoms include confusion, lack of attention to people and surroundings,
loss of balance, seizures, and hallucinations. After the start of symptoms,
the disease progresses rapidly and usually causes death within one to 12
days.

 

Naegleria fowleri infections are very rare. In the 10 years from 2001 to
2010, 32 infections were reported in the U.S. Of those cases, 30 people were
infected by contaminated recreational water and two people were infected by
water from a geothermal drinking water supply.

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