Brain-Eating Amoeba Scoffs At Chlorine In Water Pipes

An anonymous reader writes: The Naegleria fowleri amoeba typically feeds on bacteria in water and soil. Human digestive systems have no problem killing it, but inhaling water that carries the amoeba gives it the opportunity to work its way into the brain after it sneaks through the nasal mucus. It happens rarely, but 97% of people whose brains start swelling because of this amoeba end up dying. Like most microorganisms, N. fowleri can be neutralized with concentrated chlorine. However, the systems we use to deliver tap water aren't so clean. Researchers found that N. fowleri can easily survive for 24 hours when it's mixed with the types of biofilm that tend to reside in water pipes. Increasing chlorine levels isn't a good option, since its reaction with these biofilms can generate carcinogens.

Comments

Re:Neti Pots

[Parafilmus]

Guess I should boil that water first.

Definitely

Nasal rinsing ... use some care

[khb]

Using a Neti pot, NealMed or homebrew .... it seems still sensible to either:

1) Boil water, and hold at temp for several minutes (a "hot pot" e.g. http://www.zojirushi.com/app/p... typically holds the water at a boil for 4min) or
2) UV sterialize http://www.steripen.com/advent... as an example

While one can use distilled water, often it sits around potentially growing something (but probably nothing brain eating) so making it fresh has advantages.

Yes, these pests are rare; but the results dire enough one should take reasonable care before putting water up one's nose these days.

Re:Nasal rinsing ... use some care

[Pulzar]

I guess that means that you shouldn't go swimming in fresh water? Even a chlorinated pool could contain this parasite for 24 hours if there is that same film inside the pool's plumbing.

The pools are chlorinated to a much higher level, because you don't need to keep the water drinkable.