PEACE RIVER HAZARD

[Harry Pristis]

Don't ignore the 'gators, but here's something else to be cautious about:

 

"BEACH IN FLORIDA CLOSED AFTER BRAIN-EATING AMOEBA CONFIRMED IN TEEN"

This is Port Charlotte Beach, fresh water at the mouth of the Peace River. 

  The amoeba thrives in warm temperatures (up to 115 degrees Fahrenheit) and enters the body through the nose when a person’s face is submerged in the water. 

  The amoeba, Naegleria fowleri, normally eats other organisms like bacteria, but it can attack brain tissue if it’s not treated in time.

[Meganeura]

Well it's a snarge good thing I don't stick my face in the water then!

[siteseer]

I had heard of that amoeba during my times in Florida.  I guess it's not just a danger in lakes or ponds.

[jpc]

Yikes.  This thing (or a close relative) is also a serious concern in hot springs in the westetn usa