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Lake Jackson, Texas residents were warned not to use tap water after a deadly brain-eating microbe was found in the city’s public water supply, the BBC reported.
The tests confirmed the presence of Naegleria fowleri in the system. Amoeba can cause a brain infection that is often fatal.
These infections are rare in the United States – only 34 have been reported between 2009 and 2018.
Lake Jackson officials said they were disinfecting the water system, but did not know how long it would take. Initially, people in eight Texas municipalities were told Friday night not to use their water supply for any reason other than toilets. The warning was lifted Saturday for all but Lake Jackson, a city of more than 27,000 people. Authorities in Lake Jackson later said that people could start using the water, but they had to boil it before drinking it. Residents were told to take other measures, including not allowing water to enter their noses when showering. There is a warning about the “special vulnerability” of children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems, adds Nova TV.
Officials said they were flushing the water system and would then run tests to make sure the water was safe to use. The investigation into the city’s water supply began after a six-year-old boy became infected with the germ and died earlier this month, Lake Jackson’s Modesto Mundo told reporters.
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