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.
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Information from: Tulsa World, http://www.tulsaworld.com
carolyn
Nah. They are their very own type of parasite.
From your explanation it sounds down right hideous.
Have you seen this? Frightening!
Prayers up for these families...
It is. Pigs in the area? We used to swim in a long (3mi) borrow pit for years. About 12 years ago 2 kids got a dose of swimmers itch and that ended any swims in the canal. We've been parking our asses in the river for a long time; when you're there, thats the best!!
Failed to mention that there was a big bump in the nutria population prior to the kids getting the itch. Then the snails, then the alligators adding to the soup; parasite city.
BTW I carry a Mod 29 6 1/2" whenever I leave the camp; the lizards have gotten really big.
My prayers are with the families of these youngsters, that they may find comfort and strength during this terrible time of loss.
That would make a great tagline 8>)
I've been in some murky waters myself as a youngin. We have a large creek nearby that works fine for a swimming hole near an old railroad bridge. It runs off of Mt Rainier so it's cold. Real cold. No big lizards, just salmon coming home any time now. Time to get the smoker ready.
Mt. Rainier et al. Gotta be real cold even in the summer and fast. Well down here we talk about Mississippi (M) and Atchafalaya (A) rise and fall and fisherman up and down the rivers task their days accordingly for freshwater fish. The outlets of these rivers as fish producers is unparralled. I do love smoked salmon but tuna. The best.
Was this in Tulsa? Mohawk Park? Isn't that where the zoo is?
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