recommended that people not allow the water to go up their
noses. They also included instructions on how to boil the water,
and kill the ameba, before using in neti pots.
parties the public, government leaders and business partners
had a clear idea of what was happening. The Department
announced test results and findings through a series of proactive
press releases, which were shared with reporters the same day
that information was shared with government and water system
officials. DHH ultimately shared information through an online
portal, dhh.louisiana.gov/WaterFacts and created a simple
e-mail form where people could share their questions with the
department.
public, local governments, water systems operators and small
business owners. DHH and CDC held conference calls for local
officials, community meetings for the public in the two parishes,
and webinars for local officials and water system operators. This
was done to answer questions, allay fears and provide education
about the risks and precautions people could take.
International, national and state experts provided knowledge
on how to respond to this unusual challenge and continued to
support Louisiana through a scientific workgroup on Naegeleria
fowleri. DHH and the CDC relied on information from Australia,
which faced similar issues in the 1970s and 1980s, to develop
protocols. In Australia, their protocol lowered the risk of infections
Caryn Benjamin prepare a sample from DeSoto Parish for shipment to
CDC for testing to see if amebas still are present.
an emergency rule to increase chlorine levels in all water systems
to a level at which the ameba can be controlled. Louisiana's 1,367
water systems must comply with this rule in the spring of 2014
and the state is planning proactive messaging to explain which
systems have complied and what this means.
to allay fears, promote necessary action and maintain credibility
with the public, while trying to prevent another death.