The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals contacted St. Bernard Parish officials last Wednesday after tests came back positive for the naegleria fowleri amoeba at a sampling station in Arabi, and at a separate raw water system site.
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These infections are very rare, but testing for this amoeba in public drinking water is new. there have been three deaths in Louisiana caused by this amoeba over the last few years. This system provides water for 44,000 residents in that parish. Since then, the legislature enacted a new state law that requires DHH to set a minimum disinfectant level of free or total chlorine in public water systems.
The department says the water is safe to drink, but people should avoid getting it up their noses.
Ascension Parish and St Bernard Parish have each discovered Naegleria fowleri amoeba, a bacteria that enters through the nose and attacks the brain.
Naegleria fowleri and amoeba awareness: Personal stories and the great work from “Kyle Cares” and “Swim Above Water” .
The St. Bernard water system is undergoing a 60-day chlorine burn. The parish is conducting the recommended chlorine burn to remove any presence of amoeba. The water system has met requirements for collarbone disinfectant levels.
Focus on limiting water that goes up your nose. This includes not sniffing water from swimming pools and bath tubs.
DO NOT allow children to play unsupervised with hoses or sprinklers, as they may accidentally squirt water up their nose.
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If you need to top off the water in your swimming pool with tap water, place the hose directly into the skimmer box and ensure that the filter is running. Only use boiled and cooled, distilled, or sterile water for neti pots.
