Two local water systems in Louisiana were found to have traces of a brain-eating amoeba, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.

The systems in Terrebonne Parish's Schriever Water system and the Ouachita Parish's North Monroe Water System both tested positive for Naegleria fowleri, a naturally occurring freshwater amoeba, according to Tech Times.

You cannot be infected by drinking water that has the amoeba in it. Naegleria fowleri enters the body through the nose and then makes its way to the brain.

The mortality rate is extremely high. Ninety-eight percent of those infected will die if the amoeba enters the brain.

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Public Service Commission candidate Peter Hubbard gets a hug from Brionté McCorkle, executive director of Georgia Conservation Voters, during an election-night party in Southwest Atlanta on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025.  (Ben Gray for the AJC)

Credit: Ben Gray for the AJC