By NewsDesk  @bactiman63

In a follow-up on the news of the death of 6-year-old Texas boy, Josiah McIntyre, from infection with the brain-eating amoeba, Naegleria fowleri, city of Lake Jackson officials report after extensive testing, result show that only the the splash pad storage tank created an environment where the amoeba can be viable.

brain eating amoeba
Naegleria fowleri
Image/CDC

In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) completed an analysis of the genotype, which confirms the amoeba detected at the splash pad is the same that infected Josiah.

Assistant City Manager Modesto Mundo says the parasite was able to thrive, because of low chlorine levels in the town’s water supply.

“The city now accepts these results and the responsibility they bring with them,” Mundo said.

On Oct. 6, the boil water notice was lifted in Lake Jackson. “The city lifted the Boil Water Notice after the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) documented disinfectant residuals were above the state’s required disinfection standards throughout the entire system. Additionally, microbiological samples were collected confirming the city’s drinking water was negative for harmful bacteria,” the state agency said in a statement. “The city’s tap water is safe to drink.”

Officials remind the public that although the water is safe to drink, they urge residents to continue to avoid getting water up into their noses to reduce the risk of Naegleria fowleri infection. Residents should continue the precautions recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) until
concerns with the ameba have been resolved. Residents will be notified when that occurs. Precautions recommended by the CDC to avoid getting water into the nose include the following:

• DO NOT allow water to go up your nose or sniff water into your nose when bathing,
showering, washing your face, or swimming in small, hard plastic/blow-up pools.
• DO NOT jump into or put your head under bathing water (bathtubs; small, hard
plastic/blow-up pools) – walk or lower yourself in.
• DO NOT allow children to play unsupervised with hoses or sprinklers, as they may
accidentally squirt water up their nose. Avoid slip-n-slides or other activities where it is
difficult to prevent water going up the nose.
• DO run bath and shower taps and hoses for 5 minutes before use to flush out the pipes.
• DO keep small, hard plastic/blow-up pools clean by emptying, scrubbing, and allowing
them to dry after each use.
• DO use only boiled and cooled, distilled, or sterile water for making sinus rinse solutions
for neti pots or performing ritual ablutions.
• DO keep your swimming pool adequately disinfected before and during use. Adequate
disinfection means:
o Pools: free chlorine at 1-3 parts per million (ppm) and pH 7.2-7.8; and
o Hot tubs/spas: free chlorine 2-4 parts per million (ppm) or free bromine 4-6 ppm and
pH 7.2-7.8.
• DO place the hose directly into the skimmer box and ensure that the filter is running.
• DO NOT top off by placing the hose in the body of the pool.