Drakesbrook Weir: Brain-eating amoeba potentially found in WA lake

Swimmers have been urged to avoid a popular lake after officials warned a potentially deadly brain-eating amoeba may be lurking in the water.

The Drakesbrook Weir, 117km south of Perth, was closed on Friday after traces of the Naegleria amoeba were found.

The Shire of Waroona Council is carrying out further testing to confirm whether the so-called Naegleria Fowleri is also present.

Naegleria fowleri can cause the fatal disease amoebic meningitis.

Amoebic meningitis is caused by amoebae entering the brain through water flowing up through the nose, and the disease has a mortality rate of 99 percent.

The weir was also closed in January and February for the same reason.

‘For your safety, the Shire advises people not to swim at Drakesbrook Weir until further notice,” the council said in a Facebook post on Friday afternoon.

“The Shire will post test results as soon as they become available. The pathology laboratory has advised that specific test results for Naegleria fowleri may take up to seven days.”

Only three cases of amoebic meningitis have been reported in Western Australia since the 1980s, but swimmers are still warned to be careful.

People are known to be affected by the infection from freshwater bodies that do not contain enough chlorine, such as swimming pools or water parks.

The Shire of Waroona Council is carrying out further testing to confirm whether what is known as Naegleria Fowleri is also present in the lake.

The amoeba thrives in heat and warm water, but is not found in salt water and cannot be spread from one person to another.

Symptoms of the brain infection may include headache, fever, nausea and vomiting.

The disease spreads so quickly that infections can be fatal within five days.

Locals who recently swam in the weir and are beginning to feel unwell have been urged to seek immediate medical attention.