Texas officials: No earlier concerns after microbe found

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Texas officials said Tuesday that water samples taken earlier this year from a Houston-area community did not raise concerns before the detection of a deadly, microscopic parasite which doctors believe killed a 6-year-old boy Residents of Lake Jackson are likely to remain under orders to boil water for several weeks as the city continues purging the water supply. Lake Jackson officials said this week that three of 11 samples of the city’s water indicated preliminary positive results for the naegleria fowleri microbe One sample, Lake Jackson City Manager Modesto Mundo has said, came from the home of Josiah McIntyre, the 6-year-old boy whom doctors said died earlier this month after being infected with the brain-eating parasite. Greg Abbott visited Lake Jackson on Tuesday along with the state environmental regulators, who said samples through at least June raised no flags. “So we will definitely be investigating that further.” The Brazosport Water Authority initially warned eight communities late Friday night not to use tap water for any reason except to flush toilets, but on Saturday it lifted that warning for all communities but Lake Jackson, where the authority’s water treatment plant is situated.