This water may be polluted

A 12-year-old boy was hospitalized in Austin, Texas last Wednesday, Aug. 15. An 11-year-old boy got the same infection and was killed in Orlando, Florida last week.

They were both infected by the same microbe: the amoeba known scientifically as Naegleria fowleri. They got the microbes from swimming in freshwater ponds.

The amoeba is not some deadly bug. It is a normal inhabitant in every body of fresh water all over the world. When the water temperature rises above 80 degrees Fahrenheit, as would happen in summer, the amoeba begin multiplying very fast.

Normally, they do not pose any danger, even if they are swallowed or get to an open wound. In extremely rare occasions, however, the amoebae get in through the nose, migrate through to the back of the head, infiltrate the brain and cause the very dangerous, often fatal, disease called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis or PMA. The brain begins to swell, its vital areas get slowly crushed by the pressure, and death follows 3-7 days after symptoms first emerge.

The amoeba first incubates for about 2-15 days. The stricken individual will then have severe headaches and high fever. One early symptom is an altered sense of smell, because the microbe may damage the olfactory nerve. Soon after, there will be increased sensitivity to light, nausea, and severe vomiting. The individual may experience stiff neck and seizures.

It is important to diagnose the disease early and to be aggressive in using prescribed medications in really high doses.

The disease hits mostly children and young adults, although theoretically it would affect anybody who has contact with fresh water. It is not contagious and does not spread from one person to another. The disease is very rare: in Texas, there have been only 34 cases of PMA since 1974; in the whole U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says only 24 cases have been documented from 1989 to 2000.

Children’s behavior in water often increases the risk. Young boys and even teenagers are more likely to do things that tend to make water go up into their noses. They also don’t mind swimming in dirty water. It is only when they get inside the nose that the amoebae are dangerous.

When jumping into water, the child should close the nostrils with the fingers, or put on nose plugs.

Those who want to play safe could choose to stay out of fresh water when temperatures are up during the hot periods of the year. You cannot tell visually if the water carries the microbes. But they are certainly more common in stagnant and/or polluted water.