A brain eating amoeba has, once again, been found in the St. Bernard Parish, La., water system, according to NOLA.com.
The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals plans to do more testing at three locations in St. Bernard Parish after finding brain-eating amoeba in water samples Wednesday night.
Crews will continue to collect samples on Friday. Officials indicate that results could take 24 days. The parish implemented a 60-day chlorine burn to make sure the rest of the system is amoeba free, according to FOX's New Orleans affiliate WVUE.
As reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Naegleria fowleri, commonly referred to as the "brain-eating amoeba," is a single-celled living organism that rarely infects humans. However, when it does, it's usually fatal.
Dave Peralta, president of St. Bernard Parish, believes samples where the amoeba turned up may have been compromised. He says the pipe was cracked in a recent accident.
"Someone hit it. They probably hit it with a car or tractor or lawn mower-never reported it. It pocketed some water, so when they took the sample some of the standing water infiltrated our line. And that's what gave us a positive indication," he said, according to WDSU News.
Victor Pastor, who lives next to the Angela Street sample site in Arabi that tested positive for traces of the amoeba, isn't surprised by the news.
"Honestly, I'm not really surprised. About once a year we get a letter in the mail that they failed some national standard tests in water and not to worry that they're still in compliance with health and safety," he said.
The health department reports that the water is safe to drink, but people should not get it up their nose. They're advising parents against letting kids play in untreated pools.
HNGN reported two stories earlier this month about deaths involving the deadly amoeba. This time however, no one was harmed.
