8 Texas cities were alerted to a brain-eating amoeba found in water supply

8 Texas cities were alerted to a brain-eating amoeba found in water supply

Residents of eight cities were alerted to a brain-eating amoeba found in a southeast Texas water supply.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality issued a water advisory to residents served by the Brazosport Water Authority warning customers not to use any water due to the presence of a brain-eating amoeba, found in the water supply on Friday evening.

"The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality at the direction of the Governor's Office is working with Brazosport Water Authority to resolve the issue as quickly as possible," the advisory reads.

Health experts say that the amoeba affects people when contaminated water enters the body through the nose.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the brain-eating amoeba is commonly found in soil, warm lakes, rivers, and hot springs. It can also be found in poorly maintained or unchlorinated pools and in warm water discharge from industrial plants.

After testing, authorities on Saturday lifted the restriction for all locations except Lake Jackson, Texas, while they flushed the distribution system in that area.

Source:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/brain-amoeba-water-texas-town-b626401.html

Source:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/26/texas-tap-water-tainted-brain-eating-microbe

Source:
https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/26/us/brain-eating-amoeba-found-in-texas-water-supply-trnd/index.html