After the death of a small American infected with a brain-eating amoeba whose traces were discovered in a water supply, the governor of Texas declared a state of emergency on Sunday, September 27 in the afternoon.
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6-year-old Josiah McIntyre died on September 8 from an infection caused by the amoeba "
Naegleria fowleri
", a microscopic organism that thrives in the warm, fresh waters of lakes and rivers, as well as in springs. geo-thermal and poorly maintained swimming pools.
The amoeba enters through the nostrils and travels up to the brain, causing severe migraines, hyperthermia, stiff neck and vomiting, before causing dizziness, lethargy, confusion and hallucinations.
28 deaths between 1983 and 2010
Sampling tests have found traces of the brain-eating organism in Josiah's family's garden hose faucet, a spokesperson for the city of Lake Jackson said on Saturday as quoted by local media.
Other traces were found in a fountain at a civic center and fire hydrant in the city an hour outside of Houston and overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, said Modesto Mundo, a city official.
The child's grandparents told the Houston Chronicle that the little boy inhaled the contaminated water while playing at a downtown water jetting area, shortly before he fell ill.
The splash pad has since closed and several towns in Brazoria County, where Lake Jackson is located, this weekend recommended that residents avoid using local water for drinking, cooking and drinking. shower.
The warning was lifted on Saturday evening but authorities are still asking residents to boil the water before using it.
From 1983 to 2010, the Texas health authorities counted 28 deaths due to the amoeba Naegleria fowleri.