Texas Declares Disaster After Brain-eating Amoeba is Found in Water Supply

-

Picture this, you have just come back from the neighborhood pool, and feel fine at first. Slowly, your head begins to swell, but you still don’t think much of it. However, over the course of a few days, your headaches get worse, you begin to have hallucinations, and you feel extremely nauseous. The symptoms intensify until around the one week mark, where you drop dead.

The Story

6-year-old Josiah McIntyre faced this horrible reality on September 8th, contracting the incredibly rare “brain-eating Amoeba” at his neighborhood splash-pad, in Lake Jackson, Texas.  His death prompted local authorities and experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to test the waters. The test results came back this Friday, revealing that three out of the 11 collected samples tested positive. These three samples were found in the downtown splash pad, the hose at Josiah’s house, and the local fire hydrant.

Dr. Todd Ellerin, Infectious Disease Specialist, stated that Amoeba primarily enters the human body “when water gets into our nose,” not when we “drink water.” Interestingly, the contraction of Amoeba from water is exceptionally rare. According to the CDC, there have only been 145 reported infections in the United States since 1962, from which only four people survived. To put this into perspective, your chances of getting infected are about 1 in 70 million.

What Action is Being Taken?

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared disaster in Brazoria County on Sunday, September 27th. “The state of Texas is taking swift action to respond to the situation and support the communities whose water systems have been impacted by this ameba,” Abbott responded in a news release Sunday. “I urge Texans in Lake Jackson to follow the guidance of local officials and take the appropriate precautions to protect their health and safety as we work to restore safe tap water in the community.” Lake Jackson’s Mayor added that he “does not know when the water will be safe,” and is “asking his citizens to be patient until this is resolved.”

It could take 3 months to clear Lake Jackson's drinking water system of brain-eating amoeba, officials say
Governor Abott declaring disaster.

Overall, the situation is a huge mess. All we can do right now is send prayers to the McIntyre family, and hope that the City of Lake Jackson solves this tragic issue as soon as possible.

Check back to The Roundup for more Breaking News!

Categories
Ajay Bhavan '22, Managing Editor
Ajay Bhavan '22, Managing Editor
Aside from managing the newspaper or writing articles, Ajay enjoys competing for Jesuit's Powerlifting Team, playing the guitar/drums, and waiting for season 6 of his favorite show, Better Call Saul.

1 COMMENT

Latest News

A Season in Review: Jesuit Competitive Shooting

Once again, the Jesuit Dallas Competitive Shooting Team took aim for success. The team has proven that precision, discipline,...

There’s a New Doc on the Block – An Interview with Jesuit’s latest EdD Recipient: Dr. Brian Goll

Recently, Jesuit’s own Mr. Brian Goll became the next doctor to join Jesuit’s growing roster. Dr. Goll has been...

Escaping the Blistering Dallas Heat – Some Amazing Summertime Adventures

The Summer Situation With summer right around the corner and school getting out, we will all have a ton of...

Addressing the Problem of the Dinner Dilemma

The Big Decision If your family is like mine, then the topic of where to eat for dinner is usually...

A Farewell Delight: Apple Pie

Is there anything more American than a fresh slice of apple pie and a cold scoop of vanilla ice...

An Unexpected Turn: How the Dallas Mavericks Landed the Top Pick in the 2025 NBA Draft

A cold February night as the world buzzed with confusion, and breaking news alerts flashed across phones: Luka Dončić...

Read More#AMDG
Related Articles