[StBernard] Myths and Facts about drinking water in St. Bernard Parish

[Westley Annis]

Perhaps you can die from swallowing it.  In 1979 in Great Britain, it was
confirmed a young girl swallowed water with the same amoebic it in.  She
died five days after swallowing it from amoebic meningitis.  There was no
confirmed report of it going up her nose.  She developed a form of
meningitis from swallowing it.  Google "amoebic meningitis" and you will
come across this case and others.



-----Original Message-----


Myths and Facts about drinking water in St. Bernard Parish

wwltv.com

Posted on September 19, 2013 at 4:28 PM

Baton Rouge, La.-The Department of Health and Hospitals wants to dispel
myths and rumors associated with a recent confirmation of an ameba in the
water system in St. Bernard Parish. On Thursday, DHH published a "Myth vs.
Fact" rundown of common misconceptions about Naegleria fowleri and drinking
water in Louisiana.

Additionally, DHH has created a page on its Website where the public can get
basic information about Naegleria fowleri and DHH's response to the current
situation in St. Bernard Parish. Updated information will be posted on
dhh.louisiana.gov/WaterFacts

State Epidemiologist Raoult Ratard said, "It is vital that members of the
public understand the risks associated with Naegleria fowleri, which is why
we have worked with federal and local officials to share information about
the situation in St. Bernard Parish. But we also want people to understand
that our water is safe to drink and that, in areas where the ameba has not
been found, there is little risk of contracting it from the drinking water
supply."

Assistant Secretary for Public Health J.T. Lane said, "It's critical that
everyone act on the best possible science, data and information available,
which is why we want to dispel any myths surrounding the situation in St.
Bernard Parish. Many top local, state and national scientists, experts and
officials are working diligently and quickly to ensure our people are kept
safe and healthy. Public health is the frontline of defense against new
challenges nature and the built environment can throw at us."

Common myths and rumors that have been circulating during the past week,
which DHH seeks to dispel, include:

MYTH: The water in St. Bernard Parish is not safe to drink.

FACT: This is false. The municipal water supply in St. Bernard Parish - and
across Louisiana - remains safe to drink. The Naegleria fowleri ameba does
not cause an infection if it is in water that a person drinks because the
ameba is killed by normal levels of stomach acid. However, the ameba can
cause an infection if it goes into a person's nose. Residents who live in
St. Bernard Parish should take precautions to avoid getting water in their
noses.

MYTH: Water systems all across the state are affected by Naegleria fowleri,
making the water unsafe.

FACT: This is false. The only system where CDC testing has confirmed the
presence of the ameba is in St. Bernard Parish. The Naegleria fowleri ameba
is a naturally occurring parasite that is found in freshwater and could grow
in a water system is the water is untreated. Proper chlorination and the use
of disinfectants by water systems are both known to kill the ameba. St.
Bernard Parish is currently flushing its water system with extra chlorine to
kill the ameba. DHH and local officials are monitoring the chlorine levels
on a regular basis. It is known that free chlorine or chloramine residual at
0.5 mg/L or higher will control the ameba, provided the disinfectant
residual persists throughout the water supply system at all times.

MYTH: If I live in St. Bernard Parish, I should completely avoid using the
tap water.

FACT: It is safe to use the tap water in St. Bernard Parish, as long as you
are taking proper precautions and avoid getting the water in your nose.
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. Safety
tips can also be found at dhh.louisiana.gov/WaterFacts

MYTH: Naegleria fowleri was not found in the St. Bernard water system
because water samples were taken from fire hydrants.

FACT: The CDC has confirmed the presence of Naegleria fowleri from samples
taken directly from the water system in four different locations in separate
areas of the parish, in addition to inside the home where the child who died
this summer visited. DHH scientists pulled samples from hydrants and faucets
that connected directly to the water lines. Hundreds of liters of water were
filtered at these locations in order to capture any amebas that might be
present in the water. Our scientists, as well as CDC officials, are
confident that our testing methods produced samples of water that was in the
parish's water lines.

The presence of Naegleria fowleri in this many different locations across
the parish, especially coupled with the low residual chlorine levels in
these same areas, is clear evidence that the ameba exists in the water
system itself.

DHH is using the best available science to advise the parish of which
precautionary actions to take.

MYTH: The only way to be sure that the water is safe for all uses is to test
it for Naegleria fowleri.

FACT: This is untrue. The best way to ensure that the water is safe is for
it to be tested and monitored for residual chlorine levels. Currently, there
are no state or federal drinking water regulations that address monitoring
or treatment for amebas. However, it is known that free chlorine or
chloramine residual at 0.5 mg/L or higher will control Naegleria fowleri,
provided the disinfectant residual persists throughout the water supply
system at all times.

MYTH: The Naegleria fowleri ameba is a new problem that was only recently
brought into the United States.

FACT: False. Naegleria fowleri is an ameba that occurs naturally in
freshwater. Testing for this ameba is relatively new and still evolving, but
it has been present in freshwater bodies of water for many years. A handful
of deaths in the United States have been traced back to the ameba. In
general, Naegleria fowleri infections are very rare. In the 10 years from
2003 to 2012, 31 infections were reported in the U.S. Of those cases, 28
people were infected by contaminated recreational water, and 3 people were
infected after performing nasal irrigation using contaminated tap water.