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Travis County, Texas (KXAN) – A Travis County resident died after becoming ill with amebic meningitis after swimming in Lake Lyndon B. Johnson earlier this month.
The Austin Public Health Department reported a resident death and urged the public to take precautions when swimming in natural waters as Texas continues to experience extreme heat.
by Centers for Disease Control and Preventionamebic meningitis, or primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), is a rare brain infection caused by: Naegleria fowleri and usually fatal. Naegleria fowleri is a free-living amoeba that inhabits warm freshwaters and soils worldwide and infects people by entering the body through the nose.
Dr. Desmar Walks, of the Austin Travis County Health Department, said: “While these infections are extremely rare, they are an important reminder that natural water bodies contain microbes that can pose a risk of infection. It is.” “Rising temperatures over the summer create perfect conditions for harmful microbes to thrive and thrive.”
Precautions taken to prevent infection:
According to APH, swimming in natural waters carries many risks, including amoebic infections. To reduce the risk of infection, APH recommends the following precautions:
- Limit the amount of water that enters your nose. Close your nose, use a nose clip, or keep your head above the water when participating in warm freshwater-related activities.
- Avoid water-related activities in warm freshwater during periods of high and low water temperatures.
- When participating in water-related activities in shallow, warm freshwater bodies, do not dig or stir sediments.
causes and symptoms
Amoebic meningitis does not occur when water is swallowed, but can be fatal when the nose is forced during diving, diving, water skiing, or other water activities. . Not detected in salt water or in properly controlled and chlorinated pools.
Symptoms of amebic meningitis infection begin with severe headache, fever, nausea, and vomiting, and progress to stiff neck, seizures, coma, and, in some cases, death. These rare infections usually occur when high temperatures last for a long period of time, resulting in rising water temperatures and falling water levels.
PAM infections are rare, with only 39 confirmed cases in Texas between 1962 and 2022. PAM can cause severe symptoms within 9 days after exposure.
A sample specimen from this case was sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for further characterization.
Toxic Algae in Central Texas Waters
Earlier this month, the Lower Colorado River Authority announced the detection of toxic algae in Lake LBJ and Lake Inks. LCRA said the toxicity was detected in the algae themselves, not in the lake water.
After analyzing water samples throughout Austin in May and June, the Austin Watershed Conservation Authority also confirmed that toxic algae was found in water at several locations, including Barton Springs.
If you experience sudden adverse symptoms after swimming, you should contact the Texas Poison Control Center at 1 (800) 222-1222 or your healthcare provider. The City of Austin said that if something like this actually happened, reporting form.
Here is a list of current algae monitoring sites with harmful algae in Central Texas: found on city website.
