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Thread: Josiah McIntyre (6) died from Naegleria fowleri, a brain-eating amoeba, which was in the local water supply

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    Josiah McIntyre (6) died from Naegleria fowleri, a brain-eating amoeba, which was in the local water supply

    https://www.houstonchronicle.com/new...s-15600188.php

    About a month ago, Josiah McIntyre got sick. First a fever, headaches and vomiting. The 6-year-old?s condition progressively worsened. After a few days, he was admitted into the intensive care unit at Texas Children's Hospital. He was tested for strep, COVID-19 ? everything doctors could think of, but there was no explanation.

    By the time doctors realized he had been affected by an amoeba that eats the brain, it was too late, his relatives said. He died Sept. 8.
    Last edited by raisedbywolves; 11-22-2022 at 01:15 PM.

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    Senior Member KimTisha's Avatar
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    His death prompted water testing that resulted in a startling warning late Friday to Brazoria County-area residents: Don't use water because it might contain a brain-eating amoeba.
    That would be a startling warning.
    You are talking to a woman who has laughed in the face of death, sneered at doom and chuckled at catastrophe.
    ...Collector of Chairs. Reader of Books. Hater of Nutmeg...

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    Cousin Greg Angiebla's Avatar
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    This is so sad. We have been to several water pads. Most of them use the same recycled water over and over. I would be devastated if this happened to me. RIP Josiah.

    "The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man" -Charles Darwin

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    Senior Member KimTisha's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Angiebla View Post
    This is so sad. We have been to several water pads. Most of them use the same recycled water over and over. I would be devastated if this happened to me. RIP Josiah.
    Yes, this is heartbreaking and devastating. Not sure what a water pad is, but if it?s something kids play in shouldn?t it be chlorinated?

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    Quote Originally Posted by KimTisha View Post
    Yes, this is heartbreaking and devastating. Not sure what a water pad is, but if it?s something kids play in shouldn?t it be chlorinated?
    It is, but that isn't where he got it. They tested the water pad, IT WAS IN THE DRINKING WATER! They had to notify like 8 towns that they couldn't drink the water. The amoeba gets in the water when it is stagnant (so not like the ocean or a flowing stream) and the temp is high. Florida has a a lot of it. When we waterski and jetski we try to be aware of it. You don't want to do anything that will cause the water to go up your nose or ingest it. The waterski complex in Orlando has had a problem with it over the year based on stories I found last year when I was researching this. Sad, because my husband likes to go there and wake board.

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    This is the type of stuff that gives me nightmares. The local reservoir supplies NYC with their water and it is supposed to be fabulous. I was told our local water comes from a natural lake; however, I don't drink it. I have a bunch of glass half-gallon bottles that I take to one of the natural springs. The water is constantly flowing and never stagnant, even in the winter. Where I stay when I'm in Florida has a natural spring within 1 mile of the house.

    https://findaspring.com/

    I will use bottled water for washing out my sinuses, but I bought one that has a built-in water filter.
    Last edited by up2trouble; 09-27-2020 at 12:33 PM.

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    Cousin Greg Angiebla's Avatar
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    You can get Giardia from drinking water too. My BIL has worked at several water treatment plants and claims our water is pure, but i dont drink tap water.

    I wonder why he was the only one in the area to get sick and die with so many towns affected? Could he have gotten water up his nose in the shower?

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    Damn and now one has to wonder how many more people have been hit by Naegleria fowleri which is still being verified here though.

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    https://www.click2houston.com/news/l...files-lawsuit/

    HOUSTON – The family of a Lake Jackson boy killed by a brain-eating amoeba in the water supply has filed a lawsuit.

    The city of Lake Jackson and the Brazosport Water Authority are being sued for more than $1M. Will Langley, the attorney representing the family of Josiah McIntyre say BWA and the city were negligent.

    “At the end of the day, no amount of money is going to bring Josiah back to his family. No amount of money can make this right. But it’s important those two responsible are held accountable otherwise that’s why this happens again and again and again,” Langley said.

    Langley said a deadly brain-eating amoeba was able to grow in the city’s water supply because tests discovered there wasn’t enough chlorine.

    “If the water supply was tested and tested frequently this could have been detected and could have been prevented,” he added. “It’s not as though people don’t know how to protect people from this amoeba. There have been other cases before, people are aware of this danger.”

    Josiah, 6, was playing in the water at a city splash pad on Aug. 29, outside of the Civic Center.

    City and state officials believe water splashed into his nose allowing Naegleria Fowleri, the deadly amoeba, to travel to Josiah’s brain. The 6-year-old died a week later.

    His grandmother, Natalie McIntyre, said she hopes Josiah’s tragic death will bring awareness.

    “We never in our wildest imaginations would have imagined that this would have been something that would take out little boy from us,” Natalie McIntyre. “So, we just don’t want to see it happen to anyone else ever again.”

    A few weeks after Josiah’s death, the city of Lake Jackson issued a boil water advisory. The state distributed bottled water to residents in need. Gov. Greg Abbott made a trip to Lake Jackson last September promising the state would find out how this happened. The Center for Disease Control was also called in to test the water supply.

    “I know the family appreciates that the city and state took it seriously after the fact,” Langley said. “We just wish more cities would take it seriously ahead of time to prevent these kinds of things from happening.

    Josiah’s father, Anthony McIntyre, said his son loved the outdoors as much as he did baseball. He said the last few months without Josiah have been tough on the entire family.

    “He (Josiah) definitely knew how to make you smile and he’s still doing it to this day,” Anthony McIntyre said. “It’s going to be hard. Very hard.”

    Modesto Mundo, city manager for Lake Jackson, said in a statement that they received the family’s petition.

    “Josiah’s death was a terrible tragedy and the city holds no ill feelings against the family for filing the lawsuit,” Mundo said.

    He said the city will decide which path they wish to take. Mundo also said the lawsuit was not unexpected

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