Real Life X-Files, Part Two

Hey folks,

Just this past Sunday, I told you about a real life X-Files out there. A “brain eating bug” that has caused the death of six people so far this year. Sunday, the AP talked about a 14 year old boy named Aaron Evans who went with his family to Lake Havasu to swim on his Birthday.

In Arizona, David Evans said nobody knew his son, Aaron, was infected with the amoeba until after the 14-year-old died on Sept. 17. At first, the teen seemed to be suffering from nothing more than a headache.

"We didn't know," Evans said. "And here I am: I come home and I'm burying him."

After doing more tests, doctors said Aaron probably picked up the amoeba a week before while swimming in the balmy shallows of Lake Havasu, a popular man-made lake on the Colorado River between Arizona and California.

If you remember the town of Lake Havasu City was THINKING about warning people. Now CNN is telling the story of 12 year old, Jack Herrera.

According to CNN-Rare but deadly amoeba infection hard to prevent By Patrick Oppmann and John Zarrella

(CNN) -- Ray Herrera does not mince words about what his 12-year-old son, Jack, went through.

"It's beyond description to watch your most precious, beautiful, wonderful, loved one become a vegetable essentially and then die," Herrera said.

I cannot even imagine.

In August, Jack returned from summer camp that included swims in Texas' Lake LBJ. Five days after coming home he was dead, killed by a microscopic amoeba.

"He was the happiest boy anyone ever knew," Herrera said.

Jack is one of six people to die this summer in the United States from the naegleria fowleri amoeba.

All were believed by health officials to have contracted the amoeba from swimming in warm, freshwater lakes, rivers or natural springs. There is no risk from properly chlorinated swimming pools, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The amoeba enters the human body through the nose. It then travels to the brain, where it begins to feed.

Symptoms of the amoeba's rampage begin 1 to 14 days after infection and resemble the flu. At the onset of those symptoms the amoeba victim's health swiftly declines.

At this point, says Dr. Kevin Sherin of the Orange County Health Department who is investigating three deaths this summer in Florida, "It's progressing very rapidly and then there's a downhill course for them there. Folks lapse into a coma, there are abnormal movements of the eyes and a terrible cascade of events leading to the actual death of parts of the brain."

Although exposure to the amoeba is usually fatal, Sherin says a cocktail of drugs can fight the amoeba if administered in time. The key, he says, is identifying the amoeba early.

In the hot summer months when the amoeba flourishes, he said, doctors need to learn to look for the symptoms of an amoeba-related illness.

"Physicians have to consider it. The public needs to consider it," Sherin said. "If you have a flu-like illness or a bad headache following swimming in a freshwater body and the temperature is over 80 degrees Fahrenheit, be aware of this."

Or stay the HELL OUT of fresh water that is over 80 degrees.

However, only a handful of doctors have seen a patient with the rare amoeba.

Until this summer there were only 24 known cases of the virus in the U.S. since 1989, according to the CDC.

This is why someone better be looking into this. 24 since 1989. 6 so far this year? There is cause for concern over this.

Health officials cannot explain the spike in cases this summer, except that weather plays a factor.

"Because it's been such a hot summer, that has contributed to warmer water temperatures and lower water levels and that makes an ideal environment for the amoeba," said Dr. Rebecca Sunenshine of the Arizona Department of Health, which is investigating a death last month there tied to the amoeba.

Another question health officials have is why the amoeba seems to appear more often in young males. All six victims this summer were male, ages 10 to 22 years old. One theory, the CDC says, is that young males might be more likely to engage in water sports such as water skiing or wakeboarding. Those can lead to greater exposure to the amoeba.

But other than wearing nose plugs while swimming or staying out of freshwater above 80 degrees Fahrenheit, there is little people can do to prevent exposure to the amoeba.

SO WHY risk it? Seriously.

Health officials say federal or local governments have few tools to combat the amoeba.

Even testing the water for amoeba levels, said the CDC's Dr. Michael Beach, would be of minimal benefit to swimmers.

"It would be very difficult because the testing procedures wouldn't tell you what's going on until days after people would actually be in that water." Beach said this week on CNN's American Morning.

"So, you have to assume that it's there and try and reduce these risks even further. This is an extremely rare infection, so we have to keep that in perspective as well, although it's very severe," Beach said.

HOW ABOUT CLOSING these areas where you KNOW it is? What about public safety? Are people being warning about Lake LBJ ? What about Lake Havasu? Where did the THREE die in Florida? Where did they get it from?

In Orange County, Florida, county health department officials have rejected calls to close the lakes this summer. Dr. Kevin Sherin said the department does not have the authority to deny access to public lakes and that privately owned lake areas would remain open regardless of any action to close the lakes.

{Sigh} It’s a pubic health issue. People are losing their kids. They are DYING. OK, if you are not able, by law to close the lake, you CAN, on public property, warn people that there is a BRAIN EATING BUG in the water and this or that people DIED there.

Instead, the health department has posted signs at 15 swimming and boating areas where people may face exposure to the amoeba.

The effectiveness of the signs appears mixed. When a CNN crew recently visited a bathing area near a natural spring, the water was packed with families.

As he sunbathed near a sign warning of amoebas, John Walters seemed unconcerned about danger possibly lurking beneath the clear, inviting waters. "Its no worse I suppose than the gator signs over there and somebody did get attacked here once."

I’d rather deal with an Gator. But apparently this is an ignorant statement. He seems clueless. Not his fault, this JUST started to be reported. If I had gone to a lake and saw a sign that said something like, “Warning, in extremely rare conditions, you may come into contact with an amoeba that could become fatal. Where nose plugs.” I would not be that concerned. But if these signs tell the TRUTH. “Warning. A 14 year old boy died after swimming here. He contracted the naegleria fowleri amoeba. This amoeba attacks the brain and causes nearly certain death within 1-7 days. It IS in this Lake. Swim as your own risk.” I would think TWICE. If not say “Oh Hell no. we will go somewhere else.” “Brain Eating Bug” might also have an impact.

I’m sorry, but I just do not see some taking this seriously. Here are two stories in the past week of Fathers that have lost their children. Those in charge of the lakes do not se em that willing to warn people. The CDC is telling people via a news story here and there, but do not seem all that concerned, or seem to feel this is all that important. Ask those that have lost their kids.
Peter

Sources:
OPNTalk-Real Life X-Files
CNN-Rare but deadly amoeba infection hard to prevent