Health experts in Florida have got their work cut out for them. An amoeba infestation in the state’s water has raised health concerns, following a man’s death from infection with said amoeba.
Currently, the narrative suggests the man in question died upon rinsing his sinuses with tap water, most of which is currently believed to be infested with brain-eating pathogens.
Florida Tap Water May Have Become Deadly!
Infectious disease expert from the University of Florida Dr. Mobeen Rathmore claims that residents of Charlotte County should avoid exposing their nose or throat to tap water, even while they’re showering, until the officials determine the water is safe for human use.
The person who likely got a brain-eating amoeba through tap water in Charlotte County is dead. The Florida Health Department confirms this is the person we told you about last week.
While the death is sad, health officials say we shouldn’t be scared. pic.twitter.com/YUmgTrZdoi
— Emma Heaton (@EmmaHeatonWINK) March 2, 2023
It wasn’t long until Rathmore’s statement was supported by several other experts in the field across the country, including parasite expert Dr. Anjan Debnath from the University of California, San Diego.
However, a thorough examination by both of the doctors found that amoeba infection risks are minuscule. In US history, only 160 infections in total have been recorded. Even then, those cases are usually linked to swimming outdoors in warm waters, where these organisms can thrive.
Local health officials from Charlotte County began their investigation right away. Although Florida’s Health Department spokesmen have confirmed Naegleria Fowleri infections are extremely rare and only happen if the amoebae enter the human body through the nose.
Why would someone drink Florida tap water?? pic.twitter.com/LaQL83hX0d
— Lou (@_iamlougotti) March 2, 2023
The importance of boiling your tap water
It’s currently unknown how the man administered the water to his nasal canals, but due to safety concerns, officials have advised Florida residents to boil their water for a minute or two before using it to rinse their noses.
This would rid the water of any harmful bacteria or chemicals before it comes in touch with the mucus inside the nose, preventing it from causing any damage that could’ve easily been avoided.
Despite the minuscule risk of infection, Dr. Debnath stated tap water should always be avoided when it comes to rinsing or washing out one’s nose. The small amount of recorded infections doesn’t mean it can’t possibly happen to you, which was proven by the most recent fatal case of Naegleria Fowleri infection.
Everyone knows Florida water is disgusting except Floridians https://t.co/Id0yQfVwPV
— ɔoʌɐHxlnɟıʇnɐǝᙠ (@_serotoninsugar) March 2, 2023
However, these amoebae aren’t exactly contaminants in natural water reservoirs. They’re actually part of the ecosystem, seeing as they’re found in the soil, water, and even the water’s sediment.
Chlorine alone is usually enough to kill these deadly amoebae and it’s what drinking water is treated with before being stored.
Other processes that tap water goes through are also enough to rid the water of these organisms, but they do manage to slip into the water supply from time to time.
This also happened a few years back in Louisiana when two individuals died from Naegleria Fowleri infection, followed by a child dying from the same cause two years later.
This article appeared in The Record Daily and has been published here with permission.
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