The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has issued a warning for Texas not to use tap water after a six-year-old boy contracted a brain-eating amoeba and died earlier this month.
RELATED STORIES:Â Girl In Medically Induced Coma After Contracting Rare Brain-Eating Amoeba
After playing in a public splash pad and a sprinkler at home, Josiah McIntyre,6, tested positive for Naegleria fowleri in Lake Jackson. He died on Sept. 8 after fighting off an infection called primary amebic meningoencephalitis caused by the organism. After receiving news about the boy’s death, officials have warned residents in Freeport, Angleton, Brazoria, Richwood, Oyster Creek, Clute, and Rosenberg along with Lake Jackson, about using tap water that possibly contains the organism.
“The as Commission on Environmental Quality continues to work with the city, the Texas Department of State Health Services, the Centers for Disease Control, and the Environmental Protection Agency to resolve the ongoing water issue after Naegleria fowleri (N. fowleri) was found in the city’s water system.N. fowleri occurs naturally in freshwater, but if it gets far up into the nose, the ameba can cause a rare but fatal infection. TCEQ and city officials are actively working on a plan to flush and disinfect the water system. Until the flushing and disinfecting process is complete, the city remains under the boil notice.”
RELATED STORIES:Â Woman Fights For Life After Brain Bleed Is Misdiagnosed For Food Poisoning
McIntyre’s mother, Maria Castillo, said her son “was a really good big brother. He just loved and cared about a lot of people.” She also said the Texas Children’s Hospital did everything they could to treat her son before his death and she’s still upset about the outcome.
I’m angry and upset and sad and heartbroken. It really means a lot to me because we want to know as a family for peace of mind. I know it doesn’t bring him back. The fact that we know how he got it, how he contracted it, gives us peace of mind.”
SOURCE: ABC 13