Travis County Resident Dies From Brain Infection After Swimming in Lake LBJ

A Travis County resident has died from an amebic meningitis infection after swimming in Lake LBJ in August.

The extreme heat this summer has contributed to microbial growth in waterways, says Austin Public Health. They recommend limiting the amount of water going up your nose and avoiding swimming in freshwater during periods of high water temperature and low water levels – which is happening in most waterways in Central Texas right now.

Amoebic meningitis is usually untreatable, but if caught early enough antibiotics may, in some cases, be effective. The illness’ symptoms include headache, fever, nausea and vomiting, progressing to a stiff neck and seizures, coma and eventually the possibility of death. You can’t get an amebic infection from swallowing water – but it can be fatal if it goes up the nose, and severe illness can follow up to nine days after exposure. It’s not found in salt water or chlorinated pools, only warm freshwater. Infections of this kind are rare – only 39 cases in Texas between 1962 and 2022 – but Austin-Travis County Health Authority Dr. Desmar Walkes cautioned, “This is an important reminder that there are microbes present in natural bodies of water that can pose risks of infection.” A sample specimen has been sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for further identification.

This summer has seen many of Central Texas’ major waterways succumb to the drought, reporting record low flows. City testing at Barton Springs found “non-concerning” levels of toxic algae – which is not dangerous to humans – earlier this month, as its flow dropped to 16cfs, perilously close to the 14cfs needed to declare a Stage 4 drought (the average is 68 cfs). The Springs are on their way out of the danger zone as of last week, but this week Canyon Lake broke its previous 2009 record for low lake elevation, the National Weather Service reports, and Blue Hole in Wimberley has followed Jacob’s Well in closing due to low flow levels. Combined with the heat, these are the “ideal” conditions for harmful microorganisms to “grow and flourish,” said Walkes.