ST. BERNARD, La. — A rare Naegleria fowleri amoeba was confirmed to be in the water supply of a Louisiana parish and is being blamed for the death of a four-year-old boy, according to CNN News.
The state’s Department of Health & Hospitals said the amoeba found in tests of St. Bernard Parish water causes a generally fatal brain infection, stated the article.
Officials said the water is safe to drink but to avoid getting water in the nose, which is the route the amoeba takes to the brain.
State Assistant Health Secretary J.T. Lane. said the water supply came under suspicion once chlorine levels were detected as being low because chlorine is what typically kills amoeba, noted the article.
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