‘Killer amoeba’

Press, 6 November 1978, Page 2

‘Killer amoeba’

PA Hamilton 1 Health Department checks -for the “killer amoeba’’ did not include the Matamata pool where a man died last I week, -because it was regarded as above suspicion. A Matamata health and I building inspector died in -the Waikato Hospital on -Wednesday of amoebic meningitis, suffered after swim;ming in the pool. The opinion of the Medical Officer of Health at Hamilton (Dr H. Gordon) was that the man, Mr R. Wormley, died as a result of swimming in the thermally -heated pool. i Dr Gordon declined to re- ; veal the name of the pool ; while investigations continue.

District pools had been regularly checked, but not the pool concerned, Dr Gordon said. "The pool was not considered because it is chlorinated, filtrated and uses a heat-exchange system where water from the earth is not actually used in the pool.” Under the heat-exchange system thermally heated water is drawn from a bore to heat pool water. The pool had been checked “once or twice” in the past, but had not been included in regular checks by health inspectors. The tests on the other pools were to find their amoeba, ph, temperature, and bacteria levels. The Health Department in

conjunction with a Massey University research unit, had made two-weekly checks of thermally heated pools, and: Dr Gordon said, many had shown amoeba at times. ■ Dr Gordon said that the I pools where Mr Wormley. | died would now. be included! in fortnightly checks on! chlorine levels. i The head of the Massey j University research unit, Mr !T. Brown, said yesterday that the chlorine level must be maintained at all times in pools to be effective. Health Department inI spectors yesterday started ; tests on the pool, but Dr | Gordon was not optimistic lof their chances of proving anything because the pool has been filled and emptied; [twice since the death.