May these boys Rest in Peace
My prayers offered for the family and friends who now mourn their passing.
Blessings,
trussell
If you want on/off my prayer ping list, please let me know. All requests happily honored.
Posted on 08/05/2005 6:40:02 PM PDT by Pharmboy
Two children died Friday after being infected with a parasite associated with swimming in stagnant water, health officials said.
The children, aged 9 and 7, died after being infected with Naegleria, an amoeba that lives in warm water and can cause a deadly inflammation of the brain, the Tulsa Health Department said.
The boys, who live in the Tulsa area, came to doctors with symptoms of fever, hallucinations and headaches, health department spokesman Melanie Christian said. The boys did not know each other and appear to have contracted the disease independently.
The 9-year-old died Friday morning. The 7-year-old succumbed about 5:30 p.m., Christian said.
The children were believed to have been swimming in area ponds in recent days. Christian said family members of the 7-year-old are avid fishermen and have visited a number of ponds and lakes in recent weeks.
Three city pools where the boys were known to have swam were closed for testing and reopened after authorities said tests and records indicated appropriated levels of chlorine had been maintained. Chlorine kills the amoeba.
Of the 200 known cases of Naegleria in the past 40 years, only two people have survived, health officials said.
The amoeba enters the body through the nose. The health department will work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to post warning signs if the investigation indicates the boys contracted the infection from a natural body of water.
A 3-year-old girl who died in 1998 was the last known victim of the disease in Oklahoma. This case was also from the Tulsa area. She had been swimming in Kaw and Fort Gibson lakes before she became sick.
Several drugs are effective against Naegleria in the laboratory, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, but most infections continue to end in death.
People can avoid getting the infection by not swimming in bodies of warm fresh water, or by holding the nose shut or using nose clips.
A total of 24 Naegleria infections were documented in the United States between 1989 and 2000.
___
Information from: Tulsa World, http://www.tulsaworld.com
Oh good Lord, that is horrible. Prayers for the parents....what an awful thing to happen.
Absolutely horrible. That's why I posted this--so all FR readers in OK would be aware...
Horrible way to go. Sad. Prayers for the families.
May these boys Rest in Peace
My prayers offered for the family and friends who now mourn their passing.
Blessings,
trussell
If you want on/off my prayer ping list, please let me know. All requests happily honored.
Thank you in advance for removing my flawed post.
awful news. I grew up swimming there as a kid too! never thought anything but a water moccasin or a an aligator snapping turtle could get you. prayers for their family.
Sad news. Prayers for the family.
How tragic. I never heard of Naegleria. Prayers up for these children and families
Prayers for these poor boys and the families.
"Prayers for the parents....what an awful thing to happen."
Amen, may these unfortunate children RIP. Very sad. I never knew there was such dangers out there.
If I remember correctly penetrates nasal/sinus mucosa and travels olefactory nerve to brain leading to what happened to these kids. Not a good parasite to acquire.
I join in prayers for their loved ones!
This story reminds me of the time I found my 12 yr old son happily frolicking in a sewage run off ditch with his buddies. Needless to say, I rushed him home and into the shower.
Prayers for the survivors of these children.
Wow, I grew up on a farm swimming in ponds in Oklahoma and have never heard this before. Is this something relatively new? I was always more worried about the cottonmouths instead of germs.
I feel for those parents. Those poor kids were the same ages as mine kids are.
Father Lord please be with the family of these two little ones. In the name of Jesus, amen.
Carolyn
I wonder if it got into that water from illegal immigrants.
From the CDC:
Naegleria Infection
(nuh-GLEER-e-uh)
Download PDF version formatted for print
What is Naegleria ?
Where is Naegleria found?
How common is Naegleria infection?
When is Naegleria infection most common?
How does infection with Naegleria occur?
What are the signs and symptoms of Naegleria infection?
Is there treatment for infection with Naegleria ?
Can infection be spread from person to person?
How can I prevent infection with Naegleria ?
Can I get Naegleria infection from my swimming pool?
What is Naegleria?
Naegleria is an ameba commonly found in the environment, in water and soil. Only one species of Naegleria has bee found to infect humans, Naegleria fowleri .
Where is Naegleria found?
Naegleria fowleri is found worldwide. Most commonly, the ameba is found in
Warm bodies of fresh water, such as lakes, rivers, and hot springs
Warm water discharge from industrial plants
Under-chlorinated swimming pools
Soil
How common is Naegleria infection?
Although Naegleria is commonly found in the environment, infection occurs rarely.
Only 24 infections were documented in the U.S. between 1989 and 2000.
When is Naegleria most common?
Infection with Naegleria is most common during the dry, summer months, when the temperature is above 80 ° F and the water is warm and water levels are low.
How does infection with Naegleria occur?
Infection with Naegleria occurs when the ameba enters the body through the nose while the person is swimming underwater or diving. The ameba then travels to the brain and spinal cord.
What are the signs and symptoms of Naegleria infection?
Infection with Naegleria causes the disease primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a brain inflammation, which leads to the destruction of brain tissue.
Initial signs and symptoms of PAM include headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, and stiff neck. As the ameba causes more extensive destruction of brain tissue this leads to confusion, lack of attention to people and surroundings, loss of balance and bodily control, seizures, hallucinations. The disease progresses rapidly and infection usually results in death within 3 to 7 days.
Is there treatment for infection with Naegleria?
Several drugs are effective against Naegleria in the laboratory. However, although a variety of treatments have been used to treat infected persons, their effectiveness is unclear since most infections have still been fatal. Prompt diagnosis and treatment may help.
Can infection be spread from person to person?
No. Naegleria infection cannot be spread from person to person contact.
How can I prevent an infection with Naegleria?
Avoid swimming or jumping into bodies of warm fresh water
Avoid swimming in thermally polluted water (water around power plants)
Do not swim in areas posted as "no swimming."
Hold the nose shut or use nose clips when jumping or diving into bodies of fresh water.
Hold the nose shut or use nose clips when jumping or diving into bodies of fresh water.
For further information on protecting yourself from recreational water illnesses, go to www.healthyswimming.org .
Can I get Naegleria infection from a swimming pool?
No. You cannot get Naegleria infection from a swimming pool as long as the pool is properly cleaned, maintained, and chlorinated.
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