Posted on 08/18/2011 10:00:52 AM PDT by george76
The third case, in Louisiana, was more unusual. It was a young man whose death in June was traced to the tap water he used in a device called a neti pot. It's a small teapot-shaped container used to rinse out the nose and sinuses with salt water to relieve allergies, colds and sinus trouble.
Health officials later found the amoeba in the home's water system. The problem was confined to the house; it wasn't found in city water samples, said Dr. Raoult Ratard, Louisiana's state epidemiologist.
The young man, who was only identified as in his 20s and from southeast Louisiana, had not been swimming nor been in contact with surface water, Ratard added.
He said only sterile, distilled, or boiled water should be used in neti pots.
The illness is extremely rare. About 120 U.S. cases — almost all of them deaths — have been reported since the amoeba was identified in the early 1960s, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
About three deaths are reported each year, on average. Last year, there were four.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
These things are creepy. But how can you have an amoeba in your home water system if it didn’t come from the city?
Home well?
Hot Springs - Lake Mead, Lake Mohave, Lake Powell
www.riverlakes.com/hot_springs.htm - CachedSimilar
A guide to finding hot springs on the Colorado River, upper Lake Mohave near Hoover Dam ... risk from a certain kind of amoeba that can grow in hot springs, ...
Was he anywhere near those locations?
Looking back, I shouldn't have stuck my hand in the hot water at
Bath, England, either.
I later learned that an amoeba death was traced to a guy swimming
in warm springs in Idaho or Colorado at the time.
A Canadian cop-drama show last week used an amoeba as the
central storyline.
Only use only sterile, distilled water.
Back flow preventers can be useful to block irrigation water from your lawn backing into the home system.
Is this the same as what they used to call amoebiasis in central Fla 30-40 years ago?
Yikes! I’ve been drinking well water for over 30 years now. Is it safe of have I just been lucky so far?
This amoeba has been found and infected individuals that have been swimming in the Tennessee River. Two cases have been diagnosed from the Ms/Tn/Al area of the Tennessee River. It takes a rush of water into the sinuses to facilitate an infection of this organism and many times by the time it is diagnosed it is almost too late. Physicians are getting better at history taking and thus leading to a rapid diagnosis.
amoebiasis in central Fla 30-40 years ago?
Do not know.
Maybe others can help.
Why doesn’t everybody just panic. That should fix everything.
A deep well is likely safer from cows, beavers, and other animals that might use a pond or stream as a toilet—thus introducing bugs into the water.
Getting the well water tested from time to time and using chemicals / other filters against bacteria seems like a good idea.
Jumping feet first can pound any water and bugs into ones nose.
Best to hold your nose .
Bleach is your friend. There are plenty instructions on how to treat home wells to prevent nasties in your drinking water.
Kate Bush was right!
It’s an artesian well about 300 feet deep. I have it tested every year at a local lab. I know they test for Coliform bacteria, the most common bacterial contamination in my area but I’m not sure about Amoeba. Not sure if there is even an accurate test for it.
There have been some cases here in OK too.....
I’m thinking about a UL sterilizer anyway. I don’t like choline Bleach in the water except as a last resort.
I’m going to go outside now and scream there is something in the water.
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