Deadly Texas: This Tiny Creature Is More Dangerous Than You Think

When you think of deadly Texas critters, you probably imagine the usual suspects- mountain lions, rattlesnakes, and if you're thinking coastal, alligators.

However, a dangerous creature lurks in warm Texas lakes, rivers, springs, poorly maintained pools, and splash pads.

Naegleria fowleri may only be a single-cell organism, but its moniker will send a chill down your spine.

Brain-eating amoebas are so-called because they can infect the brain and destroy brain tissue. According to the CDC, these infections are rare, but nearly always fatal.

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In fact, of the 164 cases that have occurred across the U.S. between 1963 and 2023, only 4 people survived.

Brain-eating amoebas they are a particular problem in Texas. According to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, brain-eating amoebas killed 28 people between 1983 and 2012- an average of one person per year.

This is to say no one has died since 2012- that's just the statistics available. Last year CBS News reported that a Texan swimmer developed amebic meningitis infection after swimming in Lyndon B. Johnson Lake.

Exposure risks to brain-eating amoebas are not limited to just swimming in warm water. Some infections occurred because people used tap water to clean their sinus/nasal passages, like with a neti pot device.

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Luckily, this infection cannot be passed person-to-person or from simply drinking tap water.

Symptoms of a brain-eating amoeba infection are headache, fever, nausea, and vomiting, which progresses to, "stiff neck, confusion, lack of attention to people and surroundings, loss of balance, and hallucinations," according to the CDC.

In some cases, it is diagnosed after the person has already died.

According to the CDC, there are some ways to avoid exposure. I will add that you should never swim with a fresh tattoo either.

To help protect yourself against a Naegleria fowleri infection:

• Hold your nose or wear a nose clip if you are jumping or diving into fresh water.
• Always keep your head above water in hot springs.
• Don't dig in shallow water because the amoeba is more likely to live there.
• Use distilled or boiled tap water when rinsing your sinuses or cleansing your nasal passages.

Luckily, this type of infection is incredibly rare, however, its better to be safe than sorry, since most exposure to this organism is very preventable with the advice listed above.