'Brain-eating amoeba' discovered in Australian water supply

This is reported by The Conversation.

According to the authorities, the pathogen was found in drinking water at health centres and in the supply system of both towns. The local council has issued a warning about the potential threat and issued advisories to residents and tourists.

The amoeba N. fowleri lives in warm fresh water - 25 to 40°C - in rivers, lakes, ponds and hot springs. If ingested through the nose, it can enter the brain via the olfactory nerve, causing an acute inflammatory disease called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis. Symptoms include headache, vomiting, confusion, seizures and fever. The disease is almost always fatal: death occurs about 5 days after the onset of symptoms. However, cases of infection are extremely rare. From 1962 to 2024, only 167 cases were recorded in the United States, of which only four survived.

It is important to note that infection can only occur if contaminated water comes into contact with the nose, such as swimming, water skiing, showering or nasal rinsing. Drinking such water does not cause illness. In 2023, a 16-month-old baby died in the US after inhaling water from a contaminated "splash pad" - a splash pad for toddlers.

Where the amoeba got into the system is still unclear. River or groundwater used as a water supply may have been contaminated.

According to Australian health regulations, tap water is regularly tested and its quality is monitored. However, if an amoeba is found, chlorination and other disinfection measures are recommended.

Experts emphasise that the risk of infection remains extremely low. But in the area of potential threat, you should avoid getting water in your nose: do not dive, do not wash under strong pressure, do not allow children to play with splashes. It is safe to swim in the sea and in properly treated swimming pools - salty and chlorinated water is destructive to N. fowleri.