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Louisiana DHH Confirms Death of a Child Associated with Rare Amoeba Found in St. Bernard Parish Home (September 6 2013): Naegleria Fowleri - CDC Confirms Rare Ameba in St. Bernard Water System

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  • Louisiana DHH Confirms Death of a Child Associated with Rare Amoeba Found in St. Bernard Parish Home (September 6 2013): Naegleria Fowleri - CDC Confirms Rare Ameba in St. Bernard Water System

    [Source: Louisiana Department of Health, full page: (LINK).]


    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

    Thursday, September 5, 2013 | Contact: Media & Communications: Phone: 225.342.1532, E-mail: dhhinfo@la.gov


    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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  • #2
    Re: Louisiana DHH Confirms Death of a Child Associated with Rare Amoeba Found in St. Bernard Parish Home (September 6 2013): Naegleria Fowleri

    Child visiting St. Bernard Parish dies from rare encephalitis infection, CDC confirms

    By Benjamin Alexander-Bloch, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
    on September 05, 2013 at 8:05 PM, updated September 05, 2013 at 9:22 PM
    ...
    The 4-year-old allegedly contracted the illness in late July while in the Violet area and then died in August, according to parish President Dave Peralta. The DHH just recently received the water tests results back from the CDC.

    "The kids were playing on a Slip 'n Slide over a period of 10 to 12 hours," Peralta said. "And from what the CDC has told us, it grows in fresh, hot or warm water and is introduced in the nasal passages and then affects the brain.

    "But we are taking many precautions, flushing the parish water system and we will continue to take every precaution," Peralta said. "Before it was even confirmed, we started immediately testing at all sites across the parish.

    "There is absolutely no reason for us to believe that this stuff was ever in our water system."
    ...
    Only about 120 U.S. cases ? almost all of them deaths ? have been reported since the amoeba first was identified in the early 1960s, according to the CDC. About three deaths are reported each year, on average. In August, a 12-year-old Florida boy died after contracting the infection.

    Earlier in August, a 12-year-old Arkansas girl survived the infection after being given an experimental breast cancer drug and having her body temperature lowered. Officials believe she is only the third person to survive this infection.
    ...
    In 2011, a 20-year-old St. Bernard Parish man died after using tap water 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.

    That same year, a 51-year-old DeSoto Parish woman died from the same infection after also using tap water in a neti pot and becoming infected with the deadly amoeba.
    ...

    Full text:
    "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
    -Nelson Mandela

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Louisiana DHH Confirms Death of a Child Associated with Rare Amoeba Found in St. Bernard Parish Home (September 6 2013): Naegleria Fowleri - CDC Confirms Rare Ameba in St. Bernard Water System


      Saint Bernard Parish, Louisiana
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Bernard_Parish,_Louisiana


      Hattip Giuseppe Michieli

      Louisiana CDC Confirms Rare Ameba in St. Bernard Water System (DH, September 13 2013): N Fowleri


      ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CDC confirms amoeba in St. Bernard water, offers recommendations

      by WWLTV.com
      Posted on September 13, 2013 at 6:23 AM
      Updated today at 8:14 AM

      ST. BERNARD PARISH, La. - Residents in St. Bernard Parish should be cautious when it comes to the parish's water supply, according to health officials, after tests confirm that a brain eating amoeba that killed a 4-year-old boy last month is in the parish's water system.

      Health officials say the water in St. Bernard Parish is drinkable, the problem is ingesting it through the nose, but tests show this amoeba is in several locations in the Parish's water system.

      St. Bernard Parish Officials believe the 4-year-old boy died from encephalitis after contracting the amoeba from a slip and slide.

      Last week, testing began on the water supply, now the Center for Disease Control is saying that four locations in St. Bernard Parish?s water system, all in Arabi and Violet, tested positive for the amoeba.
      ...
      "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
      -Nelson Mandela

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Louisiana DHH Confirms Death of a Child Associated with Rare Amoeba Found in St. Bernard Parish Home (September 6 2013): Naegleria Fowleri - CDC Confirms Rare Ameba in St. Bernard Water System

        The 4-year-old contracted the illness in late July and died in August.

        On Thursday, September 5, DHH Louisiana confirmed his death and St-Bernard Parish president David E. Peralta commented on WWL "There is absolutely no reason for us to believe that this stuff was ever in our water system."

        On Thursday, September 12, CDC confirms the Ameba in St. Bernard water system.

        It took 5 to 6 weeks for the Health Department to make a statement, and it took a week more for the CDC to confirm the Ameba in the water system.
        "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
        -Nelson Mandela

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Louisiana DHH Confirms Death of a Child Associated with Rare Amoeba Found in St. Bernard Parish Home (September 6 2013): Naegleria Fowleri - CDC Confirms Rare Ameba in St. Bernard Water System

          State epidemiologist says contracting amoeba is rare

          wwltv.com
          Posted on September 12, 2013 at 10:38 PM
          Updated yesterday at 10:40 PM

          NEW ORLEANS -- The state epidemiologist, Dr. Raoult Ratard, says chlorine will have to be used to further disinfect the St. Bernard water system, but he says it is not that uncommon for this amoeba to be in the water.

          However, he said it is rare for anyone to become infected.

          In the video shown above, Ratard brings out a skull to show the paper-thin, perforated area at the top of the nostril that the amoeba has to reach to get to the brain.

          ?So the amoeba has to go all the way up the nose, and he goes through here, and he gets into the brain,? he said.

          Ratard said it is not likely for water with the amoeba to get up that far into the nostril, and when you are aware of the possible danger, it is easy to prevent it from going up the nose.

          ?Now when you take a shower you are going to have a few drops of water here,? Ratard said. ?That?s not a problem. When you take a bath, don?t put your head under the water. Because then you might have water going all the way up. If you have a little baby or small child that?s going to stay in the water, watch the child. You can still bath your child, your baby, in the water, but make sure you watch the baby so he does not splash and puts his head under the water.?

          Video:
          "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
          -Nelson Mandela

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Louisiana DHH Confirms Death of a Child Associated with Rare Amoeba Found in St. Bernard Parish Home (September 6 2013): Naegleria Fowleri - CDC Confirms Rare Ameba in St. Bernard Water System

            CDC -

            Naegleria fowleri and Public Drinking Water Systems

            Naegleria fowleri has caused deaths associated with using disinfected public drinking water supplies in Australia <SUP>1</SUP> and Pakistan <SUP>2</SUP> and an untreated, geothermal well-supplied drinking water system in Arizona <SUP>3</SUP>. The largest amount of experience in managing Naegleria fowleri-contaminated water supplies is in Australia, which had multiple deaths in four states during the 1970s and 1980s that were linked to swimming or having other nasal exposure to contaminated drinking water. The infections were linked to piping drinking water overland, sometimes for hundreds of kilometers, that resulted in the water being heated and having low disinfectant levels. These conditions allowed the water and pipes to become colonized by Naegleria fowleri. Several water systems in the states of Western Australia and South Australia continue to monitor regularly for Naegleria fowleri colonization in drinking water distribution systems <SUP>4</SUP>. Experience gained in managing Naegleria fowleri contamination of specific water systems has prevented further infections in Australia since that time.

            Recommendations for Drinking Water System Users

            If Naegleria fowleri is suspected to be in a municipal drinking water system, the water utility may raise disinfectant levels and flush the system to get rid of Naegleria fowleri. There is normally a layer of scum or biofilm in pipes in water systems and homes. If Naegleria fowleri has colonized a water system, it might be found in the biofilm layer. It is possible that raising disinfectant levels could lead to some of that biofilm coming loose in the water system or a household and being flushed through the system or home. As a general precaution, the following recommendations are provided for residents on water systems raising their disinfectant levels and flushing the system. They are adapted from the Western Australia Department of Health's "Amoeba Response Guidelines [PDF - 12 Pages]."

            Remember, you cannot be infected with Naegleria fowleri by drinking contaminated water. When water systems have the disinfectant raised, the water may have a strong chemical taste or smell, but your water utility will be working to make sure it still meets drinking water standards.


            Since Naegleria fowleri infects people when water containing the ameba enters the body through the nose, it is critical to prevent water going up the nose.
            • DO NOT allow water to go up your nose or sniff water into your nose when bathing, showering, washing your face, or swimming in small hard plastic/blow-up pools.
            • DO NOT jump into or put your head under bathing water (bathtubs, small hard plastic/blow-up pools) ? walk or lower yourself in.
            • DO NOT allow children to play unsupervised with hoses or sprinklers, as they may accidentally squirt water up their nose. Avoid slip-n-slides or other activities where it is difficult to prevent water going up the nose.
            • DO run bath and shower taps and hoses for 5 minutes before use to flush out the pipes. This is most important the first time you use the tap after the water utility raises the disinfectant level.
            • DO keep small hard plastic/blow-up pools clean by emptying, scrubbing, and allowing them to dry after each use.
            • DO use only boiled and cooled, distilled, or sterile water for making sinus rinse solutions for neti pots or performing ritual ablutions.
            • DO keep your swimming pool adequately disinfected before and during use. Adequate disinfection means:
              • Pools: free chlorine at 1?3 parts per million (ppm) and pH 7.2?7.8
              • Hot tubs/spas: free chlorine 2?4 parts per million (ppm) or free bromine 4?6 ppm and pH 7.2?7.8
              • If you need to top off the water in your swimming pool with tap water,
                DO place the hose directly into the skimmer box and ensure that the filter is running.
                DO NOT top off by placing the hose in the body of the pool.
            These recommendations make common sense but are not based on any scientific testing since the low number of infections makes it difficult to ever show that they are effective. They are based on experience with previous infections caused by using Naegleria fowleri-contaminated tap water.

            More Information

            Western Australia Department of Health. Amoeba Response Protocol [PDF - 12 Pages]. 2013.
            National Health and Medical Research Council, National Resource Management Ministerial Council, Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra. NRMMC Australian Drinking Water Guidelines Paper 6 National Water Quality Management Strategy [PDF - 1,244 Pages]. 2011.

            References
            1. <!-- -->Dorsch MM, Cameron AS, Robinson BS. The epidemiology and control of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis with particular reference to South Australia. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1983;77(3):372-7.
            2. <!-- -->Shakoor S, Beg MA, Mahmood SF, Bandea R, Sriram R, Noman F, Ali F, Visvesvara GS, Zafar A. Primary amebic meningoencephalitis caused by Naegleria fowleri, Karachi, Pakistan. Emerg Infect Dis. 2011 Feb;17(2):258-61.
            3. <!-- -->Marciano-Cabral F, MacLean R, Mensah A, LaPat-Polasko L. Identification of Naegleria fowleri in domestic water sources by nested PCR. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2003;69:5864-9.
            4. <!-- -->Puzon GJ, Lancaster JA, Wylie JT, Plumb IJ. Rapid detection of Naegleria fowleri in water distribution pipeline biofilms and drinking water samples. Environ Sci Technol. 2009;43:6691-6.
            http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/naegler...r-systems.html
            "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
            -Nelson Mandela

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Louisiana DHH Confirms Death of a Child Associated with Rare Amoeba Found in St. Bernard Parish Home (September 6 2013): Naegleria Fowleri - CDC Confirms Rare Ameba in St. Bernard Water System

              Due to St. Bernard water amoeba, many schools shut off drinking fountains

              By Benjamin Alexander-Bloch, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
              on September 13, 2013 at 11:00 AM, updated September 13, 2013 at 4:34 PM

              Citing confirmation that a rare brain-eating amoeba was found in St. Bernard Parish's water system, Public Schools Superintendent Doris Voitier said Friday that she has shut down middle and elementary schools' drinking fountains "out of an abundance of caution."

              The decision came a day after the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that four locations of the parish water system, two in Violet and two in Arabi, tested positive for the amoeba. Last week, the CDC confirmed that a Mississippi boy died in August from a brain infection he likely contracted playing on a Slip 'n Slide while visiting in St. Bernard in July.

              Officials Thursday sought to reassure residents that the water is safe to drink but there's a risk if it enters the nose.

              "While we know that drinking the water is no problem whatsoever, my only partial concern was possibly with the younger children at the schools,the concern that it could possibly go up their noses while they were drinking," Voitier said. "So out of an abundance of caution, we got our maintenance crew out there last night and turned off the water systems in all our elementary schools and middle schools."

              She said the school system is providing other water to children.

              More...
              "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
              -Nelson Mandela

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Louisiana DHH Confirms Death of a Child Associated with Rare Amoeba Found in St. Bernard Parish Home (September 6 2013): Naegleria Fowleri - CDC Confirms Rare Ameba in St. Bernard Water System

                St. Bernard first in country to have rare amoeba in treated municipal water

                By Benjamin Alexander-Bloch, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
                The Times-Picayune
                on September 13, 2013 at 8:15 PM, updated September 13, 2013 at 8:48 PM



                ...
                Why St. Bernard?

                How St. Bernard?s water system and home pipes became contaminated with the rare amoeba remains a mystery.

                ?What you have got in St. Bernard is a unique event,? said Michael Beach, who is the head of the CDC?s Waterborne Disease Prevention Branch. ?We have never seen this before in the United States and so we don?t know as much about it.?

                But Beach said the CDC has recently been working with Australian officials because Australia has one of the few other examples of the amoeba in a treated water system. There were several deaths in Australia from the brain infections in the 1970s and ?80s, but more frequent chlorine treatments apparently killed off the deadly amoeba.

                In terms of how it entered the St. Bernard water system, Breach said Friday that ?we?ll never know for sure,? but he and others said it often comes through breaks in water system?s pipes.

                And as Jake Causey, the administrator who oversees safe drinking water for Louisiana, pointed out Friday, the St. Bernard water system has suffered its hard knocks during the past decade. ?The system was severely compromised during Katrina,? said Causey. ?There were about 1,000-point repairs for breaks in that system when they were bringing it back online.?

                Jacob Groby, St. Bernard government?s superintendent who handles quality control for the parish?s water and sewer division, said the parish system was flushed out with chlorine after Katrina and it currently is going through a similar chlorine flush that should rid the system of the contaminants.
                ...

                Full text:
                St. Bernard Parish this week became the first municipality in the United States to have its treated water system test positive for a rare brain-eating amoeba, according to the Centers
                "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
                -Nelson Mandela

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Louisiana DHH Confirms Death of a Child Associated with Rare Amoeba Found in St. Bernard Parish Home (September 6 2013): Naegleria Fowleri - CDC Confirms Rare Ameba in St. Bernard Water System

                  Family of child killed by amoeba recall boy who loved to play

                  wwltv.com
                  Posted on September 13, 2013 at 10:42 PM
                  Updated yesterday at 11:00 PM
                  Tania Dall / Eyewitness News

                  The family of 4-year-old Drake Smith Jr. is speaking out about their son's tragic and sudden death.
                  ...
                  "They wanted to play on the little slip and slide. So we set it up outside to play in. They started at noon and ended around 4 p.m.," said Smith.

                  Never in her wildest dreams did the mother of two imagine that four hours of playtime would turn deadly for Drake. Smith says about 10 days later he suddenly didn't feel well and he felt feverish.

                  "That Friday he said, 'Mommy, I don't feel good.' I said, 'Okay, go lay down and I gave him a Tylenol or something in that range," said Smith.

                  However, Smith says the pain and discomfort wouldn't go away.

                  The Mississippi family confirms two trips to the hospital ending at Tulane Medical Center couldn't cure her son's symptoms. She says he seemed confused and would stare blankly at family in the room.

                  The Smith family spent five days at the hospital before Drake passed away. Autopsy results sent to the CDC uncovered the unthinkable.

                  "Really surprised, because we said he didn't go swimming. The only thing we kept telling them is he was on a Slip and Slide," said Smith, who added that the brain-eating amoeba was found in her son's tissue.
                  ...
                  The Smith's confirm testing showed that the brain-eating amoeba was found in a water hose and toilet at their relative's home in Violet.
                  ...

                  Full text & video:
                  "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
                  -Nelson Mandela

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Louisiana DHH Confirms Death of a Child Associated with Rare Amoeba Found in St. Bernard Parish Home (September 6 2013): Naegleria Fowleri - CDC Confirms Rare Ameba in St. Bernard Water System

                    Residents demand answers on brain-eating amoeba at meeting

                    wwltv.com
                    Posted on September 19, 2013 at 10:19 PM
                    Updated yesterday at 10:27 PM
                    Jaclyn Kelley / Eyewitness News

                    CHALMETTE, La. -- A week after tests confirmed the presence of a rare amoeba in the water system, frustrated st. Bernard residents demanded answers during a town hall meeting Thursday night.

                    Instead, residents were left with even more questions after parish officials began pointing fingers at each other.
                    ...
                    During Thursday's meeting Peralta maintained state officials did not notify the parish about the problem until Sept. 4.

                    "There was a conversation between one of my employees and an employee with the state agency, and I would characterize it as an almost inadvertent slip by the state employee that there may have been a problem. We knew nothing about it," Peralta said.

                    "When you've got the public safety and well fair at hand, that's immediate, jump on, get manpower down here and address the problem ASAP," said Councilman Ray Lauga.

                    "We tried to make inquires at that time to find about what had happened," Peralta said. "We kind of got a suspicion of what was going on, and though only a suspicion, I didn't feel comfortable releasing something. We actually started treating our area immediately."
                    ...
                    Parish officials also attacked the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals specific testing practices....

                    "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
                    -Nelson Mandela

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Louisiana DHH Confirms Death of a Child Associated with Rare Amoeba Found in St. Bernard Parish Home (September 6 2013): Naegleria Fowleri - CDC Confirms Rare Ameba in St. Bernard Water System

                      Another meeting in St. Bernard to address unanswered concerns

                      wwltv.com
                      Posted on September 23, 2013 at 6:44 AM
                      Updated today at 9:12 AM

                      State and health officials are holding another community meeting to discuss the brain eating amoeba found in St. Bernard Parish's water system, and Senator J.P. Morrell will be at the Parish Council Chambers at 6:00 p.m. to answer questions and address concerns.

                      At last week's meeting, some of the more technical questions went unanswered, but council members are hoping that it will be different this time around, with officials from the Department of Health and Hospitals expected to attend.
                      ...
                      Last week residents learned the St. Bernard Parish water system will continue to be flushed and treated with chorine for at least three more weeks.
                      ...
                      "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
                      -Nelson Mandela

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Louisiana DHH Confirms Death of a Child Associated with Rare Amoeba Found in St. Bernard Parish Home (September 6 2013): Naegleria Fowleri - CDC Confirms Rare Ameba in St. Bernard Water System

                        Myth vs. Fact: DHH Dispels Rumors about Naegleria Fowleri Ameba, Drinking Water in Louisiana

                        Thursday, September 19, 2013 | Contact: Media & Communications: Phone: 225.342.1532, E-mail: dhhinfo@la.gov

                        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.

                        The Louisiana Department of Health protects and promotes health and ensures access to medical, preventive and rehabilitative services for all citizens of the State of Louisiana.
                        "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
                        -Nelson Mandela

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Louisiana DHH Confirms Death of a Child Associated with Rare Amoeba Found in St. Bernard Parish Home (September 6 2013): Naegleria Fowleri - CDC Confirms Rare Ameba in St. Bernard Water System

                          St. Bernard residents demand answers on brain-eating amoeba at meeting

                          Posted on September 23, 2013 at 10:03 PM
                          Updated yesterday at 10:08 PM
                          Tania Dall / Eyewitness News

                          CHALMETTE, La. -- The questions came fast and furious in St. Bernard Parish on Monday night about a brain-eating amoeba contaminating the parish's water supply.
                          ...
                          "I have my grandson living with me and he's only 3. How do you tell a 3-year-old not to get water in their nose?" asked Jaeger, who lives in Poydras and has been concerned about the tainted water supply.
                          ...
                          "I would like to know why the residents in the area where it was found weren't informed right when it was tested positive," asked Violet resident Kathleen Brown.

                          "We trust what our officials say. Now I'm not trusting anymore," said Arabi resident Crystall Wells.

                          Health officials say the parish continues to flush its water system with a "chlorine burn" to kill off the amoeba. Some residents questioned why testing showed some parts of the parish had no chlorine levels in the water supply at all.
                          ...
                          Residents were told by state and federal officials about a three-point plan that St. Bernard Parish is adopting to get its water system back on track: It will continue to inject higher chlorine levels than normal into the water system to help kill all amoebas; it will increase chlorine levels in some water storage tanks; and up the number of monthly water monitoring plus testing sites parish-wide.
                          ...
                          St. Bernard Parish residents are still being urged to avoid getting water up their nose. Health officials also say the water is safe to drink despite the increased levels of chlorine.

                          "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
                          -Nelson Mandela

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Louisiana DHH Confirms Death of a Child Associated with Rare Amoeba Found in St. Bernard Parish Home (September 6 2013): Naegleria Fowleri - CDC Confirms Rare Ameba in St. Bernard Water System

                            DHH issues emergency rule on disinfectant levels in water systems

                            wwltv.com
                            Posted on November 6, 2013 at 10:31 PM
                            Updated yesterday at 10:47 PM
                            ...
                            The rule increases the minimum disinfectant levels required for public water systems and raising the required number of samples taken each month.
                            ...
                            Water systems have until Feb. 1 to get into compliance.

                            "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
                            -Nelson Mandela

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Louisiana DHH Confirms Death of a Child Associated with Rare Amoeba Found in St. Bernard Parish Home (September 6 2013): Naegleria Fowleri - CDC Confirms Rare Ameba in St. Bernard Water System

                              Following Chlorine Burn, CDC Test Results Negative for Naegleria Fowleri Ameba in DeSoto Parish Water System

                              Raised chlorine level credited with controlling rare ameba

                              Wednesday, January 22, 2014 | Contact: Media & Communications: Phone: 225.342.1532, E-mail: dhhinfo@la.gov

                              BATON ROUGE, La. - Water samples taken earlier this month from the DeSoto Parish Waterworks District No. 1 have tested negative for the rare ameba Naegleria fowleri, meaning increased chlorine levels in the system have controlled the ameba, the Department of Health and Hospitals announced Wednesday.

                              DeSoto Parish Waterworks District No. 1 was one of two water systems in Louisiana that tested positive for the rare ameba last year. Following a chlorine burn and a state mandate that required the parish to maintain a 1.0 milligram per liter free chlorine residual throughout the system for 60 days, DHH took two water samples from 10 locations along the system in early January. Testing by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed this week that all 20 samples were negative for the rare ameba, which has killed three people in Louisiana since 2011.

                              DHH Secretary Kathy Kliebert said, "Our team has worked closely with the leaders from the water system to come up with a plan to protect the system's customers by controlling the ameba.. While the water was always safe to drink, these test results give us confidence that it is safe for all uses."

                              Assistant Secretary for Public Health JT Lane said, "We are encouraged by these test results, which show that maintaining a certain free chlorine or chloramine residual in water systems can control this ameba and protect families. This is why DHH issued an emergency rule last year that we believe will make the water that we drink, bathe and play in safer."

                              Out of an abundance of caution, DHH will conduct additional sampling and testing in DeSoto parish later in the year as temperatures grow warmer, making water more inviting for the ameba. DHH still encourages people to take precautions, including using commercially distilled water or tap water that has been boiled and then cooled, when they are using a Neti pot for a sinus rinse.

                              Later this month, DHH will collect water samples for testing at from St. Bernard parish's water system, which also had positive ameba test results in 2013 and has also been under a DHH mandate to increase the level of chlorine in its system. The Department will send these samples for testing by the CDC and will announce the results of these tests when they are available. Until this time, DHH recommends that St. Bernard parish residents continue to take precautions to avoid getting water deep inside their noses.

                              ABOUT NAEGLERIA FOWLERI IN LOUISIANA

                              In the fall of 2013, DHH announced that testing by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the presence of the Naegleria fowleri ameba in the water system in St. Bernard Parish and in Water Works System No. 1 in DeSoto Parish. The St. Bernard confirmation followed testing of various points on St. Bernard Parish's water system after Naegleria fowleri was determined by the CDC to be the cause of the death of a child who visited St. Bernard Parish in the summer of 2013.

                              DHH officials selected the DeSoto Parish Waterworks District No. 1 water system for testing in September 2013 because the area was the site of one of two 2011 Naegleria fowleri-related deaths in Louisiana. Following the confirmation in September 2013 that St. Bernard Parish's water system tested positive for the ameba, DHH officials tested the water in the DeSoto Parish Waterworks District No. 1 as a precautionary measure.

                              At the time of the 2011 deaths in DeSoto and St. Bernard parishes, officials could only confirm the presence of the ameba in the homes of the deceased, but not in the water systems. More advanced sampling technology is now available through the CDC. No known additional infections have occurred in DeSoto Parish, as incidences of infection are extremely rare. Exposure to Naegleria fowleri has historically occurred as a result of swimming or diving in warm freshwater lakes and rivers. An infection of Naegleria fowleri cannot occur by drinking water.

                              In response to the deaths and the positive test results, in November 2013, DHH issued an emergency rule requiring that water systems in the state maintain a higher residual disinfectant level and increase their number of sampling sites by 25 percent. Most drinking water systems in Louisiana will be required to meet this new higher standard by February 1, 2014. DHH also convened a scientific working group to gather as much information and research as it could about how to protect Louisiana families from the ameba.

                              Free chlorine or chloramine residual at 0.5 milligram per liter or higher will control the ameba, provided the disinfectant is present at that level throughout the water supply system continually.

                              DHH launched dhh.louisiana.gov/WaterFacts to provide the public with accurate information about the ameba. DHH is also accepting questions from the public for using a form on this Website or via e-mail to DHHInfo@la.gov.
                              ...

                              The Louisiana Department of Health protects and promotes health and ensures access to medical, preventive and rehabilitative services for all citizens of the State of Louisiana.
                              "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
                              -Nelson Mandela

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