Shire rules out presence of ‘brain-eating amoeba’ but health officials urge caution as hot weather approaches

The potential presence of a deadly brain eating amoeba came with some surprise for the Shire of Waroona last week, but on Friday pathology results were able to rule out its presence.

The shire closed Drakesbrook Weir last week after detecting the presence of naegleria amoeba, closely related to the infamous brain-eating naegleria fowleri.

However, on Friday morning the shire was able to announce its pathology results had shown there was no evidence of the deadly amoeba which had closed the weir three times this year.

Shire president Mike Walmsley said they were not trying to scare people, but rather it was their responsibility to inform the community of the risk with the related amoeba detected.

“It’s an untreated water body, like any other fresh water body across the State, so there’s always a risk that this could happen,” he said.

“But we’re testing and trying to be transparent about what’s in there to keep people safe.”

A West Australian Health spokesperson said with summer now in full swing the Department of Health was urging the community to take precautions around untreated water.

They said the presence of naegleria amoeba in any warm and fresh water sources could lead to a rare but potentially fatal infection, amoebic meningitis, caused by a specific type of amoeba called naegleria fowleri.

“If forced up the nose in warm fresh water, it can cause inflammation and destruction of brain tissue,” the spokesperson said.

“This type or organism could grow in freshwater bodies such as lakes, rivers and farm dams in temperatures above 28C.

“People should assume that any water in hot weather could contain amoeba and take the simple precaution of preventing water from being forced up the nose.

The spokesperson said rural areas that had their own unchlorinated tank, dam or bore water were at particular risk along with people who had poorly chlorinated swimming pools.

“The amoeba that causes the illness does not survive in water that is clean, cool and adequately chlorinated,” they said.

Whilst there had not been a case of amoebic meningitis in Western Australia since the 1980s, the spokesperson said it was important to remain vigilant.