Pacific Spirit Marine Institute
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Warmer water temperatures will be bringing a bevy of new problems for humans as well as the creatures that make their homes in and near the water.
The CDC, Center for Disease control is reporting a spike in cases of death from Naegleria fowleri. 6 deaths have been reported this year from the brain-eating amoeba. 6 cases don’t sound like a lot until we see there were only 23 cases reported during 10 entire years from 1994 to 2004.
The CDC says there have been only several hundred cases reported worldwide since its discovery in Australia in the 60’s. Still, an amoeba that enters through the nose and eats the brain sounds like the stuff science fiction horror is made from.
For the family of the latest reported victim, 14 years old, this isn’t fiction, but a very real horror. Now the residents of Tucson Arizona have been alerted to the fact that their water supply has tested positive for the presence of the deadly Naegleria fowleri.
It sounds like a bad good news, bad news joke. The bad news is this Amoeba feeds on your brain until it kills you. The good news is, it come into your body through your nose. Scientists recommend not snorting the water. Yep….
Scientists also believe as the earth’s surface heats up there will be more and more deaths from Naegleria fowleri as well as other disease and illness.
The amoeba feed on bacteria that grows in warm waters. It lives in soil and warm bodies of water like hot springs, rivers and lakes. Pools if not properly maintained can grow the microbes too.
Pay attention here. The microbe lives in surface water, but now it’s been found in the city of Tucson’s water supply. There is speculation the microbe that’s now been found in its new home, in the underground water source, may be a result of the use of biodegradable oils used in the city’s water pumps.
Is this another case of the cure being worse than the disease?
The growth of Naegleria fowleri in underground water sources may be the unintended consequences of using environmentally friendly lubricants. Go figure.
Tucson residents have been assured that their water is sufficiently chlorinated, and this brain-eating amoeba is dead before it flows from their faucets. I rarely get water up my nose when I’m drinking it, but it frequently goes in my nose when I shower. I’m not certain I would be reassured.
If this microbe has been previously only found on surface water, will a day come when this microbe was previously killed by chlorine added to the water?
Labels: AZ., Bottled Deep-sea Water, CDC, Global Warming, Microbe, Naegleria fowleri, Tucson, biodegradable lubricants
© 2009, Pacific Spirit Marine Institute.
Global Warming, Warmer Water Temperatures Spell Trouble For Humans Too.
