Do not drink: Eight cities in US find brain-eating amoeba in tap water

Eight cities in Texas have issued a disaster declaration for the locals after a brain-eating amoeba was found in the water being supplied through the taps.

An advisory was issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality that stated that Naegleria fowleri — a brain-eating amoeba — was found in the water supplied to the households by the Brazosport Water Authority.

"The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality at the direction of the Governor's Office is working with Brazosport Water Authority to resolve the issue as quickly as possible," the advisory read.

The affected cities are Lake Jackson, Freeport, Angleton, Brazoria, Richwood, Oyster Creek, Clute and Rosenberg, Texas, along with the Dow Chemical plant in Freeport and the Clemens and Wayne Scott Texas Department of Criminal Justice corrections facilities.

This amoeba is commonly found in unchlorinated, unhygienic and poorly-maintained pools and warm water storage industrial units. It can also come from soil, warm lakes and rivers, as per CDC.

Amobea-filled water was noticed when a six-year-old boy was hospitalised with the amoeba. When the boy was admitted, the local authorities and the CDC started inspecting water samples from a water fountain "splash pad" in front of Lake Jackson Civic Center or through water emitted from a hose at the boy's home, as per the statement.

These infections are rare, but can be fatal. As per the data provided by the CDC, nearly 145 people were infected from 1962 to 2018 and only four survived the infection.

While some areas have been given the green signal now, Lake Jackson residents are still being urged to not use the tap water.