According to an article in the Waco Tribune-Herald, BSR surf resort voluntarily closed its wavepool on Friday as the tests were conducted for “brain-eating amoeba.”
The investigation was launched following the tragic death of a New Jersey surfer who had recently visited the park. Fabrizio “Fab” Stabile, 29, of Ventnor, New Jersey passed away surrounded by his family on Friday, September 21, 2018 at the Atlantic City Medical Center.
There have been only 34 documented cases of Naegleria fowleri in the past ten years, of which only four people who were infected survived.
The brain-eating amoeba is usually found in warm freshwater but in rare cases the amoeba is found in inadequately chlorinated swimming pools. The amoeba enters the body through the nose and then travels to the brain.
“Naegleria fowleri usually infects people when contaminated water enters the body through the nose. Once the ameba enters the nose, it travels to the brain where it causes PAM, which is usually fatal. Infection typically occurs when people go swimming or diving in warm freshwater places, like lakes and rivers. In very rare instances, Naegleria infections may also occur when contaminated water from other sources (such as inadequately chlorinated swimming pool water or heated and contaminated tap water) enters the nose. You cannot get infected from swallowing water contaminated with Naegleria.” – CDC