美國新冠疫情日記09/28

Brain-Eating Amoeba Found In Water

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality issued a water advisory to residents of Lake Jackson, Freeport, Angleton, Richmond and Oyster Creek to not to use any public water until further notice due to the presence of Naegleria fowleri, a Brain-eating amoeba, that was found in the area’s water supply last Friday evening.

The incident started on September 8th, when the city was made aware of a six-year old boy who was hospitalized with the amoeba infection. The boy’s illness was traced back to a civic center water fountain or the hose at the boy’s home.

Texas Department of State Health Services tested the local water on September 25^th and  three of the 11 water samples tested positive for Naegleria fowleri.

The CDC says this type of infection is rare, yet most cases are fatal. From 2009 to 2018 only 34 cases of Naegleria fowleri were reported in the United States. Of those reported cases, 30 people were infected by recreational water. From 1962 to 2018, 145 people were infected and only four survived.

This is a very difficult time for the people in Texas with the coronavirus still attacking our community. It will possibly take at least three days to clear the amoeba from the water system.

We urge all residents in the area to please pay attention to all the latest announcements and developments on this situation from city health authorities.

  德州小鎮發現食腦菌

德州环境保護局週末發佈緊急通告，凡是居住在休斯敦南邊積克遜湖市等八個小城不要使用自來水，因為在該地區的水源系統中發現了可怕的食腦菌。

在今年的九月八日，一名六歲孩童可能是在飲自來水或是在他家中的水龍頭中感染到食腦菌，不幸喪生。

根據德州衛生局之檢驗報告， 十一個水源中有三個測試出有阿米巴原蟲， 這種食腦菌從1962 到2018 年全美共有一百四十五個病例，只有四人生還。

正值新冠疫情在德州未見控制之時，又加添這個可怕的病菌，真是雪上加霜， 我們呼籲大家要加緊防範，暫時不使用自來水, 等待市府及衛生單位之通知。

世界氣候變遷不斷惡化， 做為石化重工業之地區， 正遭受前所未有之挑戰 ，聯邦政府對環保要求似乎有鬆綁情況， 希望這些變化不會為此地區帶來怪病和災難。