ereks mom Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 (edited) If not, it's here. In my post in that thread, I said that we don't drink from the water hose because standing water in a hose could contain the Naegleria fowleri parasite, which is a brain-eating amoeba. FOX news is reporting today that this summer, three people have died from being infected by this parasite. The first victim was a 16 year old Florida girl who went swimming in the St. Johns River. The second victim was a 9 year old Virginia boy who was infected at summer camp. The third victim was a Louisiana man in his 20s who actually contracted the deadly illness when he used a neti pot filled with tap water from his home! Yes, it's very rare, but this is scary stuff! Edited August 18, 2011 by ereks mom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whereneverever Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 That is scary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 I haven't heard of that, but I have a book called "Plain Talk About Drinking Water" which is in a Q&A format (given out when we went on a field trip/tour of our water treatment facility recently). One of the questions is: When I'm working in the yard, I'm tempted to take a drink from my garden hose. Is this safe? The answer is: No. a standard vinyl garden hose has substances in it to keep the hose flexible. These chemicals which get into the water as it goes through the hose are not good for you. They are not good for animals or pets either, so filling drinking containers for them out of a garden hose is not a good idea unless the water is allowed to run a while to flush the hose before using the water. However, one type of hose on the market is made with a "food-grade" plastic that is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and will not contaminate the water. Campers with recreational vehicles should use this type of hose when hooking up to a drinking water tap at a campsite. Check with a store that sells accessories for recreational vehicles. Even a well-flushed vinyl hose or food-grade plastic hose can cause problems, however. The outside thread opening at the end could be covered with chemicals or germs from a previous use. Some children in Gainesville, Fla., got sick after filling water bottles from a hose that had been used to wash garbage cans. (The book is from 1997 though so I don't know if things have changed since then). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 We bought a food grade hose not too long ago..so it can't have changed much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WiseOwlKnits Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 I didn't realize it could harbor that parasite, but they use lead (among other chemicals) to make water hoses so it's not safe to drink from them like the PP said so we never ever drink from them. And if I won't drink from it, I'm not going to water an animal from it. :) Thanks for the reminder though! Someone in Austin died last summer from that same parasite after swimming in a local lake that's running slow because of the drought. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 Wow! Thanks for posting. I find it totally disgusting, but I need to warn my family members. yuck! How scary! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten18 Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 The third victim was a Louisiana man in his 20s who actually contracted the deadly illness when he used a neti pot filled with tap water from his home! WTH? :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 We actually have rv hoses(bought for the homebirth). However, I'm scratching my head on how this proves the point as none of these were linked to water hoses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 I thought people put bottled wat, or saltwater in those pots ????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 WTH? :confused: :iagree:Scary!! I thought people put bottled wat, or saltwater in those pots ????? I think using distilled water is advised and the packets you add to the water contain salt, but it never occurred to me that to use tap water could lead to death. So scary! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Dominion Heather Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 You do have to get the water containing the amoeba up your nose to contract the illness, so I don't think it is drinking it that is the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted August 18, 2011 Author Share Posted August 18, 2011 We actually have rv hoses(bought for the homebirth). However, I'm scratching my head on how this proves the point as none of these were linked to water hoses. The connection was made in my post in the original thread. Also: Naegleria fowleri live in soil and water but thrive and infect humans in fresh water between 82 and 104 degrees F. Dirty swimming pools, spas, rivers, ponds or garden hoses holding stagnant water are all breeding grounds for Naegleria fowleri. Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/6395-need-amoebic-meningitis/#ixzz1VQ1u1Eh9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted August 18, 2011 Author Share Posted August 18, 2011 You do have to get the water containing the amoeba up your nose to contract the illness, so I don't think it is drinking it that is the problem. No, but if you've ever drunk from a water hose, you know how easy it is to accidentally spray the water up your nose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cin Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 No, but if you've ever drunk from a water hose, you know how easy it is to accidentally spray the water up your nose. And how much fun it was, as a group of kids, to drink a little, spray a little and run away squealing in delight! :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 I guess playing the sprinklers is a bad idea then. Hmmm...had not thought about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 Although I think drinking tap water, period, is gross (and hot tap water from a hose is from the devil), I do believe the risks of contracting a parasite by accidentally snorting the first blast of water from a garden hose is vanishingly small. You have, OTOH convinced me to stay out of lakes and ponds during the summer months. Barb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 I guess playing the sprinklers is a bad idea then. Hmmm...had not thought about that. No, sprinklers aren't stagnant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Dominion Heather Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 No, but if you've ever drunk from a water hose, you know how easy it is to accidentally spray the water up your nose. No, actually, that has never happened to me. You know what though, I am not going to worry about this. We will continue to swim in the river and wade in creeks and drink out of a hose once in a blue moon. Yes, three people have died this year in the USA from this parasite, and that is tragic. But how many have died in the same period of time in car accidents? Hundreds? Thousands? And yet we all hustle our kids out to the car and drive to the store every day. It is illogical to me to worry over such a tiny risk when I take much greater ones every day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted August 18, 2011 Author Share Posted August 18, 2011 You know what though, I am not going to worry about this. We will continue to swim in the river and wade in creeks and drink out of a hose once in a blue moon. Yes, three people have died this year in the USA from this parasite, and that is tragic. But how many have died in the same period of time in car accidents? Hundreds? Thousands? And yet we all hustle our kids out to the car and drive to the store every day. It is illogical to me to worry over such a tiny risk when I take much greater ones every day. I don't blame you, actually. I probably wouldn't worry about it myself, except that two children from my hometown (an hour's drive from where I currently reside) have died from this parasite within the past few years. It was heartbreaking to read the newspaper accounts. The parents knew their children were dying and nothing could be done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Dominion Heather Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 I don't blame you, actually. I probably wouldn't worry about it myself, except that two children from my hometown (an hour's drive from where I currently reside) have died from this parasite within the past few years. It was heartbreaking to read the newspaper accounts. The parents knew their children were dying and nothing could be done. It is harder when it is someone close. The Virginia boy was not too far from us. Same river in fact. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 No, actually, that has never happened to me. You know what though, I am not going to worry about this. We will continue to swim in the river and wade in creeks and drink out of a hose once in a blue moon. Yes, three people have died this year in the USA from this parasite, and that is tragic. But how many have died in the same period of time in car accidents? Hundreds? Thousands? And yet we all hustle our kids out to the car and drive to the store every day. It is illogical to me to worry over such a tiny risk when I take much greater ones every day. same here. Also, we always would run the hose first, to get cold water, not the hot stuff. Plus, the hot stuff was way over 104! It was burning hot. But anyway, yeah...you drink the cold water! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tohru Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 And how much fun it was, as a group of kids, to drink a little, spray a little and run away squealing in delight! :( :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 Nope, still not seeing the connection- it could theoretically happen I guess- but it is rare enough that it was only 3 times this year and none in that manner. And you always run out the hose before drinking, always, always. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted August 19, 2011 Author Share Posted August 19, 2011 (edited) Nope, still not seeing the connection- it could theoretically happen I guess- but it is rare enough that it was only 3 times this year and none in that manner. And you always run out the hose before drinking, always, always. You wanted to know what was the connection between naegleria fowleri and garden hoses. I made the connection in a previous post, which I quoted in the post you read: That water hose contains standing water, which is a breeding ground for bacteria and even parasites such as Naegleria fowleri ...a brain-eating parasite that enters the body through the nose--such as when sprayed from a water hose. If you're wondering where I made the connection, it was from online research, which included: To prevent infection: avoid jumping or diving into bodies of warm fresh water or thermal pools keep your head above water in spas, thermal pools and warm fresh water bodies empty and clean small collapsible wading pools and let them dry in the sun after each use ensure swimming pools and spas are adequately chlorinated and well maintained flush stagnant water from hoses before allowing children to play with hoses or sprinklers if you are using unchlorinated water: don't allow water to go up your nose when bathing, showering or washing your face supervise children playing with hoses or sprinklers and teach them not to squirt water up their nose potentially contaminated water should not be used for any form of nasal irrigation or nasal lavage including Neti Naegleria fowleri is an organism known as an amoeba that lives naturally in warm freshwater bodies and soil. It can grow in warm, stagnant water bodies including lakes, hot springs, warm water discharge from industrial plants, poorly maintained swimming pools and spas and garden hoses or sprinklers containing stagnant water. Dirty swimming pools, spas, rivers, ponds or garden hoses holding stagnant water are all breeding grounds for Naegleria fowleri. Flush stagnant water from hoses before allowing children to play with hoses or sprinklers if using unchlorinated water etc. Edited August 19, 2011 by ereks mom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cera Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 That parasite is contracted when water enters the body through the nose, not when you drink infected water. It is definitely scary to think about but if we avoided everything like that we would exist in a little plastic bubble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumping In Puddles Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 Although I think drinking tap water, period, is gross (and hot tap water from a hose is from the devil), I do believe the risks of contracting a parasite by accidentally snorting the first blast of water from a garden hose is vanishingly small. You have, OTOH convinced me to stay out of lakes and ponds during the summer months. Barb The chance of contracting a parasite in the summer months by swimming in a lake or pond is also extraordinarily small! More people die from drowning than from this bacteria. If you want to increase your statistical risk from a water related death then you need to stop swimming all together. :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 The chance of contracting a parasite in the summer months by swimming in a lake or pond is also extraordinarily small! More people die from drowning than from this bacteria. If you want to increase your statistical risk from a water related death then you need to stop swimming all together. :001_huh: We think we contracted a parasite one year during drought season. Lake Texoma in Southeastern OK had been stagnant all summer, but we didn't know to use caution. We'd never been to the lake before, so our neighbors took us one day to get out of the heat. It was so hot that the lake felt like a hot tub...blech. Anyway, we spent the next 48 hours vomiting and then battled cramps and diarrhea whenever we ate for weeks afterward. The only one who didn't get sick was Meghan because she was too busy playing in the tide pools and didn't actually swim. The neighbors didn't get sick either, but they'd been in and out of the lake all summer. The doctor that treated us said they probably had built up immunity...like you can to Mexican water :) Anyway, I agree that any danger posed is pretty small, and it's likely the culprit was e Coli bacteria in our case, but our experience was unpleasant enough to make me wary of lakes during drought season. Barb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellydon Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 (edited) I think that as long as I am not pointing a hose up my nose, then turning it on, I am in good shape :D Seriously, doesn't every single person let the water run through the hose until it is completely cool before touching the water? That is enough to flush the amoebae out of the hose if it is present. Edited September 16, 2011 by Sheldon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuvingLife Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 Now I know why my parents never wanted us kids to drink out of the hose! This is so scary and I feel so bad for those who died because of it!:grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Misty Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 The third victim [/url]was a Louisiana man in his 20s who actually contracted the deadly illness when he used a neti pot filled with tap water from his home! The news report I saw said this man had well water. The bacteria actually has to go up the nose in order to somehow reach the brain.. It can't affect you just from drinking it (from the news report on the Today show a couple of weeks ago). Regardless... No hose drinking or lake/river swimming for us! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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