The governor of Texas declared a state of emergency on Sunday.
Not from covid-19, but after the death of a young American infected with a brain-eating amoeba whose traces were discovered in a water supply.
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.
Traces in the fountain of a municipal center
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.
A single case in France in 2008
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.
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In France, according to ANSES, only one case was identified in 2008. A 9-year-old boy died that year from a sudden meningitis following swimming and diving in a pool supplied by a hot spring. , in Guadeloupe, where the presence of N. fowleri had been detected.
"Analyzes have shown the presence of N. fowleri in the cerebrospinal fluid of the victim and confirmed the diagnosis," notes the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety.
