Last updated on: 9/6/2007 6:41:15 PM by Amy McLain

FORT MYERS: A deadly microscopic organism is breeding in Florida's freshwater and it's already killed two boys in Orlando, according to state health officials. Now, health departments across the state are warning swimmers to stay out of the water.

Lee County resident William Boone spends most of his time fishing in freshwater. He says at Franklin Lock he's seen several dangerous things lurking in the water.

"You have gators and snakes too," said Boone.

But there is something even deadlier than gators in Florida's freshwater - amoebas.

If they gain access to the body through the nose, they can cause a lethal brain infection called amoebic encephalitis - and during this time of year when water temperatures rise, the amoebas thrive.

Now, health officials in Southwest Florida are warning people, especially parents of young children, that they should play in other places.

"We don't think about swimming in ponds or lakes as being a risky thing to do and this is a very, very rare infection. But it is a possibility," said Judith Hartner of the Lee County Health Department.

A young boy from Bonita Springs died from the same illness in 1995.

It's a scary thought for Cape Coral mother Amber Cruse, who often lets her two-year-old son swim at the Yacht Club Beach - which is a mix with salt water and freshwater.

"We're always worrying about something airborne, stuff you bring home from school - stuff you can now bring home from the ocean," said Cruse.

The Lee County Health Department is advising swimmers to take precaution by doing the following:

* Wearing nose clips to reduce risk of infection
* Avoiding warm standing water where amoebas breed
* Staying away from water where algae blooms are visible

Boone says he'll stick to the fishing.

"Just fishing, only fishing and if I want to swim, I'll swim in a pool," said Boone.

Officials say symptoms of amoebic encephalitis can include headache, fever, nausea and vomiting, stiff neck, confusion, lack of attention to people and surroundings, loss of balance and bodily control, hallucinations and even seizures.

http://www.nbc-2.com/articles/readarticle....id=14472&z=3&p=

ameba is a product of man-made pollutants and global warming...from my post
on global warming, combined with man-made pollutants and how it can act on our freshwater ponds, rivers, lakes, and streams.

a new study recently made into a documentary.

MASS-KILL GEOTHERMAL EVENT-vs- CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS AND WARMING
Scientists are currently observing a lake just north of upstate NY,
a body of HYDROGEN SULFIDE - rich water caused by a small
geothermal vent under the lake.

At the surface, chemical contaminants are not too noticeable, although
the smell tells you right away the water is unfit to drink, body of water
almost devoid of fish and animal life,

the lake can only support microscopic life. scientists referred to
as a mini "PRIMORDIAL SEA" and are currently using it as a
model for study for scientists to duplicate conditions resembling
the 'BIG ONE'

hundreds of thousands of years ago, an ancient asteroid hit causing:
a volcano event which created a nuclear winter,( when ash
and smoke settled) lack of cloud cover heated up the atmosphere and
seawater. toxic chemicals polluted the water, but that alone did not kill
off all aquatic life.

scientists at this lake have isolated the true cause of the mass kill of
this ancient event, HIGH TEMPERATURES, AND BACTERIA.

current CO2 levels are now almostequal, temps will soon be equal,
methane levels will soon be equal. SULFUR DIOXIDE and other
contaminants are ALSO on the rise

man is now producing air and water contaminants the same way a
volcano does. Volcanos, however, are not as persistent as man when
polluting the atmosphere. volcanic events recorded last only for a
short period of time... man never stops

what they now know is : given favorable temperature and chemical
(polluted water) conditions, a deadly bacteria CAPABLE OF
EXISTING IN CHEMICALLY- CONTAMINATED WATER feeding off of
the oxygen in the water.

since chemicals are heavier than water,the condition for this type
of bacteria is ideal on bottoms of lake, river and sea floors
(even underground water sources if contaminated).

the BACTERIA gives off CO2 in exchange for OXYGEN, this bacteria is
resistant to HYDROGEN SULFIDE, the harshest environment imaginable
for aquatic life forms. other life forms at the microbe level can not
survive, water is oxygen-poor wherever this bacteria thrives, therefore
normal healthy life forms become non-existant in the same environment

scientists isolated the chemical content of the water in relation to the
areas where the bacteria is prevalent, on the lake bottom. tests revealed
the previously believed theory of ASTEROID EVENT and resulting SUPER
VOLCANO event, producing mass kill, was flawed.

now they believe the REAL global killer was this BACTERIA growth that
followed a chain of events involving chemical CONTAMINANTS in the air
and water coupled with WARMING conditions

the bacteria was isolated in sufficient volume to prove their theory.
a vial of pale green healthy lake water was poured into a vial, the
water, rich in microscopic nutrients and microscopic animal and plant life,
was then tested,

the color of the water changed instantly when the bacteria was
introduced, killing off all oxygen, thus killing off all life forms living
in the vial of lake water.

you could actually see the water turn from light green to clear
when bacteria was introduced to uncontaminated water. oxygen
was instantly exhausted, microbial life forms ceased to exist

microscopiic bottom dwellers and plant life are key in the food chain for
all fresh and saltwater marine life. land creatures of the ancient event were affected when the water became tainted with these chemicals making the
drinking water sources undrinkable, poison, unable to sustain life.

a projected computer time lapse model was drawn up to show how this
bacteria would have spread in acient times, first through fresh water
bodies, then the sea, once currents shut down, enabling seawater to
heat up at the equator

ONCE CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR GROWTH,
THIS BACTERIA CAN SPREAD AS A DOMINANT LIFE FORM
SLOWLY AT FIRST IN CONTAMINATED FRESH WATER BASINS,
THEN, AS GLOBAL CONDITIONS WORSEN, THE EQUATORIAL SEA.
THERE IS NO KNOWN REMEDY TO CURB GROWTH.

scientists added that it took thousands of years for earth to correct the
presence of this deadly bacteria. they believe that what they have isolated
is warning enough to take current climate changes seriously