Latest news with #brainInfection
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Health
- News.com.au
Urgent health alert issued for outback towns of Augathella, Charleville after deadly parasite found in shire's water supply
A potentially deadly organism known to cause a fatal brain infection has been detected in a southwest Queensland shire's water supply, prompting an urgent health warning. In a community health notice on August 7, the Murweh Shire Council announced Naegleria fowleri – a single-cell amoeba – had been detected in the drinking water supplying the towns of Augathella and Charleville. The towns had populations of 393 and 3971 respectively, according to the 2021 Census. Queensland Health says Naegleria fowleri is a free-living amoeba that occurs naturally in warm freshwater and soils across Australia. Infections generally occur when water containing the amoeba enters the nose under pressure. It can potentially lead to a rare - but fatal - disease known as primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) when it travels to the brain. 'Naegleria fowleri is not infectious via drinking or skin contact,' the council's public health notice states. Murweh Shire Council chief executive Bruce Scott said the drinking water in both Augathella and Charleville was still safe for human consumption and it was not necessary to boil water for drinking, food preparation or for personal hygiene. 'As a precaution, the council is currently arranging the collection of further water samples to identify the extent of Naegleria fowleri colonisation in the drinking water supplies serving the communities of Charleville and Augathella,' Mr Scott said. 'Samples will also be collected from the Morven supply as a precaution.' A fact sheet issued by Queensland Health in relation to the detection confirmed the department was not aware of any illnesses attributable to the drinking water supply in either Charleville or Augathella. The detection of the organism followed a comprehensive water quality project commissioned by Queensland Health and undertaken by a university, which involved specialised testing not typically conducted by local water service providers. It marks the first-known confirmation of Naegleria fowleri in both towns' water supplies. But the risk of its presence still exists in unchlorinated water sourced from the Great Artesian Basin, especially where water cools below 40C. Six Queenslanders have died from complications caused by Naegleria fowleri since 2000 – all from private water suppliers where property owners bear the full responsibility for the supply and management of their own drinking water. The first symptoms of Naegleria fowleri start about five days after exposure, but can vary between one and 12 days. Early symptoms include headache, fever, nausea and vomiting and can progress to stiff neck, confusion, inattention to people and surroundings, seizures, hallucinations and coma.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Aussie towns on edge after disturbing discovery is made in TAP WATER that could cause a very painful death
A dangerous organism has been detected in the water supply in a south-west Queensland shire, with residents warned it can cause a fatal brain infection. The potentially dangerous single cell organism called Naegleria fowleri was detected in the drinking water supply that supports Charleville and Augathella. The amoeba occurs naturally in bodies of fresh water that have been stagnant between 25C and 40C. Although the organism can cause fatal brain infections, authorities say there is no risk when the water is used for drinking, cooking, or washing clothes. The only time it can be a hazard is when untreated water enters the nose and travels up to the brain. Charleville and Augathella are part of the Murweh Shire, which has a population of over 4,000 residents. Queensland recorded its last case of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis over ten years ago, with the state's health department confirming the water was safe to drink. 'There is minimal risk to the community as long as people don't allow water to go up their nose when bathing, showering or washing their face,' a Queensland Health spokesman said. Parents have been advised to make sure their children do not get water up their noses as they are more vulnerable to infection. They have been urged to avoid putting their heads underwater in pools filled with town water and to not use the water for nasal irrigation. More than five cases of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis have been confirmed across Australia since the year 2000. One probable case was detected in Queensland and, in each of the cases recorded in the country this millennium, the infected person died. Three children have died from the infection in north-west Queensland with the most recent case being a one-year-old from Richmond in 2015. Symptoms usually develop within three to seven days of infection. They include high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness, confusion, sleepiness, sore throat, nausea and vomiting, hallucinations, taste and smell disturbances, and seizures. Murweh Shire chief executive Bruce Scott said the local council was seeking answers and urged residents to remain calm. 'This public health risk is very new to council too, but we hope to have a suitably qualified person/s … to provide answers where possible,' he wrote. 'Please observe the advice provided, and council is seeking your assistance to help spread the word on how to manage this risk sensibly and reassure people to remain calm until the public health unit, the water regulator and council can provide a mitigation strategy.' Murweh Shire Council is conducting water testing to determine the extent of the contamination.
Gizmodo
03-06-2025
- General
- Gizmodo
Texas Woman Dies From Brain-Eating Amoeba After Using Tainted RV Water
Cases of Naegleria fowleri infection are incredibly rare, but nearly always fatal. A woman's practice of nasal irrigation led to her death via brain-eating amoeba. In a recent case report, health officials described how she contracted a fatal infection of Naegleria fowleri through tainted tap water sourced from a recreational vehicle. Federal and local health officials in Texas detailed the unusual death last week in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The 71-year-old woman developed neurological symptoms days after using a nasal irrigation device and died only a week later. These infections, while rare, can be prevented through practical safety measures, such as only using sterilized water for nasal irrigation, officials say. N. fowleri is a shapeshifting amoeba that lives in soil and warm freshwater. It typically feeds on bacteria and isn't dangerous to humans when it's simply ingested. But when the amoeba enters our body through the nose, it can end up in the brain. Once there, the amoeba will literally feast on brain cells and trigger massive inflammation, causing a severe brain infection known as primary amebic meningoencephalitis, or PAM. According to the MMWR report, the previously healthy woman sought medical care with fever, headache, and altered mental status. Four days earlier, she had irrigated her nose with tap water from an RV's water system at a campground in Texas. Doctors quickly suspected PAM, but even with treatment, she developed seizures and died eight days after her symptoms began. The bizarre nature of her death then prompted an investigation by the Texas Department of State Health Services and the CDC. Officials tested both the water from the woman's RV and the nearby municipal water system that the RV may have been connected to during the trip. Neither source tested positive for the amoeba, and officials were only able to sample the water 23 days after the woman's exposure, so the environmental conditions may have simply changed by then. But they did find evidence that the RV's water system wasn't properly disinfected to prevent contamination, likely explaining how the amoeba found its way into the woman's tap water. 'This case reinforces the potential for serious health risks associated with improper use of nasal irrigation devices, as well as the importance of maintaining RV water quality and ensuring that municipal water systems adhere to regulatory standards,' the officials wrote. PAM is very rare, with only around 150 cases reported since the amoeba was discovered in the 1960s, but it's nearly always fatal once symptoms start. Most infections are typically caught when people get water up their nose while swimming in warm lakes. But the amoeba can also survive in drinking or recreational water systems, especially if they're not properly sterilized. And there have been several cases of people getting infected through using contaminated tap water for nasal irrigation (irrigation is usually performed to clear the sinuses in people with allergies or respiratory infections). The report authors say that PAM can be easily prevented through recommended nasal irrigation practices, which include only relying on distilled, sterilized, or boiled and cooled tap water for irrigation. This latest case also highlights the unique danger posed by improperly cleaned RV water systems. So Texas and federal health officials have now created an infographic for RV users to follow so they can lower their risk of PAM and other waterborne illnesses.
