Western Australians are being asked to take extra care around untreated or inadequately treated water as temperatures rise, with WA Health warning of an increased risk of amoebic meningitis.
This rare but potentially fatal infection is associated with warm freshwater sources and is caused by a microorganism called Naegleria fowleri amoeba.
WA Executive Director of Health and Environmental Health Tanya Gillett said the amoeba could cause inflammation and destroy brain tissue if forced into the nose in warm fresh water.
“These microorganisms can occur naturally in lakes, rivers and agricultural dams, but they can also be found in garden hoses, spas, and unmaintained pools and wading pools during hot weather,” Ms Gillette said.
She said the risk increases when water temperatures exceed 28 degrees Celsius.
“Warm fresh water should be treated as a potential risk, especially if water is forced into the nose,” she says.
WA Health said people living in rural and rural areas who rely on water from tanks, wells and dams were at higher risk, as were people using pools and spas that were not adequately chlorinated.
Gillette said children and young people are more commonly exposed through water play and activities that increase the chance of water getting into the nose.
“Shallow wading pools can also pose a hazard if left in the sun for long periods of time,” she says.
WA Health said amoebas cannot survive in clean, well-maintained and properly chlorinated water.
Western Australia has not recorded a case of amoebic meningitis since the 1980s, but WA Health said people should remain vigilant during hot weather to reduce the risk of infection.
The department urged people to run sprinklers or hoses until the water runs cold before playing in the water, to avoid spraying water into the nose, and to avoid getting water in the nose by walking or descending into the water rather than jumping or jumping.
People are also encouraged to swim in the ocean or in chlorinated pools rather than in fresh water, to disinfect pools and spas regularly with chlorine, and to monitor chlorine levels to ensure they are within safe limits.
WA Health also recommended cleaning and sun-drying wading pools after each use, flushing pipes before showering or bathing, and using sterile distilled water or saline instead of tap water to rinse nasal passages.
People are being asked to avoid swimming in dirty water such as dams, rivers and lakes, avoid digging or stirring up sediment, and avoid putting their heads underwater when swimming in freshwater sources.