If there is any lesson to be learned from this anarchic year, it is to act upon potential warning signs before they reach a point of crisis. Acknowledging pertinent signs of hazard before they reach the epicenter is always favorable. Furthermore, analyzing situations to gauge better insight can be more helpful than harmful. This truth is no different when resolving a new issue which has appeared in Texas, before it is too late.

Within the past week, Texas has unveiled the presence of a brain-eating amoeba lingering in its southeast water supply. An undoubtedly alarming event, Texas is currently weighing its options to resolve this very serious concern. However, as Texas manages its plan of recourse, the question remains whether the rest of the country should carry just as much concern over the implicitly silent killer.

            On September 28, Texas released statements of a brain-eating amoeba infecting its local cities’ water system. Only after discovering the presence of the amoeba after the death of a six-year-old boy did local Texas departments made warning of the water supply. Among the larger group of Texas residents, Houston-area residents in particular were told to refrain from drinking tap water as they may possibly become infected. Residents were instructed to boil their water, removing any contaminating bacteria. With that, Texas officials have estimated two to three months before the amoeba is cleared from the waters. Such a perilous event has placed Texas on an untimely hold during already dire global circumstances.

            It is difficult to turn a blind eye to such an extreme event. A fatal amoeba in such a widely-used public resource can leave a large number of people susceptible to getting sick. Added to ongoing COVID-19 concerns, this could become quickly detrimental if not contained immediately. As water travels, especially, the diffusion of such an amoeba is increasingly likely. The implications of this could have devastating, long-term effects that have already been stated to take a vast range of time to clear.  Despite this, Texas officials assure that the specific amoeba is rare, with backing evidence from the Center of Disease Control (CDC). Though its rarity has prevented it from being exposed to people until now,  there is no telling what might happen during a prolonged period of time.

            This disruption in Texas’ water supply is only one of many unrelenting scenarios this year. A brain-eating amoeba in anyone’s water supply is nothing to gaze past. While this event may seem like one of little significance to neighboring states, the implications are still uncertain. With diligent action from Texas safety departments, however, the hope of containing this parasite is still extremely high.

Works Cited

Barker, Aaron. “What You Should Know about Brain-Eating Amoeba.” KPRC, KPRC Click2Houston, 28 Sept. 2020, www.click2houston.com/health/2020/09/28/what-you-should-know-about-brain-eating-amoeba/.

Barker, Aaron. “What You Should Know about Brain-Eating Amoeba.” KPRC, KPRC Click2Houston, 28 Sept. 2020, www.click2houston.com/health/2020/09/28/what-you-should-know-about-brain-eating-amoeba/.

Johnson, Lauren M. “Disinfecting the Texas Water Supply from a Brain-Eating Amoeba Could Take Months, Officials Say.” CNN, Cable News Network, 30 Sept. 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/09/30/us/brain-eating-amoeba-texas-water-supply-trnd/index.html.