Photo: Sean Gallup / Getty Images
A n year from Texas died on 11 September due to a brain-eating amoeba that he contracted on a surface in which children slide in the water of the Don Misenheimer Public Park, located in Arlington. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) there are no more registered cases.
On September 5 the child was admitted to the Cook Children’s Medical Center for primary amoebic meningoencephalitis , infection caused by amoeba Naegleria fowleri , according to a statement from the local health authorities.
The name and age of the minor were not disclosed to protect their identity and the privacy of the family members.
Upon learning that the boy was hospitalized, health authorities took water samples from the boy’s home in Tarrant and from the section of the park where he is e play with water in Arlington, which were the last two places the minor visited before being admitted to the health center.
They were sent said samples to the CDC, who determined that the amoeba Naegleria fowleri was actually present in the water of the “splash pad” .
Arlington authorities closed the section of the park where the boy was exposed to the bacteria for the rest of the year. In addition, they reported that they also ordered the closure of all “splash pads” in the city “as a precaution.”
In another statement, the city admitted that the park staff did not frequently carry out the pertinent tests to determine the quality of the water.
“ The records did not always show the amount of disinfectant chemical that was added manually to the splash deck water system ” , the statement continues.
Lemuel Randolph, City of Arlington Deputy Mayor, told Fox 4 that the fact that the city “may have played an important role in this case is really disturbing. ”
CDC also conducted quality studies of the water in Arlington , but they determined that it meets sanitation standards and that the water is completely safe for their consumers.
The health entity also assured that there are no more cases of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis registered so far. The CDC website indicates that amoeba infections Naegleria fowleri are quite rare with only 34 registered cases between and 2010 . In addition, he reports that this bacterium is commonly found in rivers and lakes.
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