Brain-eating amoeba causes death in Kansas but not further water testing
From Missouri Digital News: https://mdn.org
MDN Menu

MDN Home

Journalist's Creed

Print

MDN Help

MDN.ORG: Missouri Digital News
MDN Menu

MDN Home

Journalist's Creed

Print

MDN Help

MDN.ORG Mo. Digital News Missouri Digital News MDN.ORG: Mo. Digital News MDN.ORG: Missouri Digital News
Lobbyist Money Help  

Brain-eating amoeba causes death in Kansas but not further water testing

Date: September 12, 2011
By: Mariel Seidman-Gati
State Capitol Bureau

Intro: 
A brain-eating amoeba leaves one Kansas resident dead, but will not result in more extensive water testing.
RunTime:  0:48
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirm a freshwater brain-eating amoeba killed a Kansas resident.

The Sedgwick County Health Department is investigating and says Winfield City Lake is likely the source.

Miranda Myrick of the Kansas Department of Health says there is no plan to close the lake or test for the amoeba.

Actuality:  MYRICK.WAV
Run Time:  00:11
Description: "The testing is expensive and it takes a very long time to get results... and you know cases like this are very rare."

Myrick says there were only four known cases this year, but each one resulted in a death.

She says to avoid high temperature freshwater to reduce the risk of this rare infection.

Officials from Missouri's Health Department did not return repeated phone calls.

In Jefferson City, I'm Mariel Seidman-Gati.

Intro: 
A death in Kansas resulting from brain-eating amoeba spurs no response from Missouri health officials.
RunTime:  0:33
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: A Kansas resident is dead after exposure to a freshwater brain-eating amoeba.

The Kansas Department of Health says the amoeba is rare but infection almost always leads to death.

The KDHS says the amoeba can be found in high temperature freshwater environments around the world.

They say there were only four known cases this year, but each one resulted in a death.

Officials from Missouri's Health Department did not return repeated phone calls, though the death took place less than 200 miles outside Missouri.

Reporting in Jefferson City, I'm Mariel Seidman-Gati.