[StBernard] Monitor pool water for brain-eating amoeba: Letter

Westley Annis westley at da-parish.com
Sat Sep 28 07:38:36 EDT 2013


Monitor pool water for brain-eating amoeba: Letter

The tragic death of a 4-year-old in St. Bernard Parish, which authorities
believe to be from the water-dwelling parasite Naegleria fowleri, is a stark
reminder of the critical importance of focusing on science (an understanding
of the ecology of this parasite) and technology (proper municipal water
disinfection). While these infections are rare, they are likened to
lightning strikes, in which avoiding exposure is critical as the
consequences are deadly.

This free-living parasite lives in slimy films on surfaces in contact with
water and sediments in human-made and natural aquatic habitats. Yet our
monitoring data and understanding of Naegleria's occurrence are poor. We do
know that chlorine disinfectants destroy Naegleria in municipal drinking
water and swimming pools; however more information is needed on the
optimization of chloramine disinfection and control of these films and the
pathogens they harbor.

Because children have been infected with this parasite during recreational
water activities, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the
Water Quality and Health Council recommend swimmers use pool test kits to
check pH (should be in the 7.2-7.8 range) and free chlorine levels (should
be in the 1-3 parts per million range) of pools, including saltwater pools,
before swimming. Upon CDC's request, to assist with alleviating the public's
concern, we have sent 2,000 pool test kits to the Louisiana Office of Public
Health in New Orleans to help monitor pool chemistry.

To stay vigilant and prevent these types of public heartbreaks in the
future, a greater awareness of the potential for this pathogen to be found
in water and proper water treatment are needed.

Joan B. Rose

Member, Water Quality and Health Council

East Lansing, Mich.



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