Residents of Murweh Shire, Queensland, are expressing concerns over the management of a reported detection of the brain-eating amoeba Naegleria fowleri in local water supplies. The Queensland Health Department informed the Murweh Shire Council in August about the detection, which is known to cause severe brain infections if contaminated water enters the nose at high speeds. This microorganism has been linked to the deaths of three children in the region over the past 15 years.

Mayor Shaun Radnedge stated that the announcement caused significant distress among residents. "The reputational risk and the damage that has been done to the Murweh Shire … has been a challenge," he said. He noted that tourism dropped by 20 percent that month, with visitors expressing concerns about the safety of drinking water.

A spokesperson for Queensland Health clarified that the initial detection was of Naegleria species, which required further validation. They emphasized that due to the potential severity of infection, public health advice was issued while additional testing was conducted. Subsequent tests at both Queensland Health facilities and towns within the Murweh Shire returned negative results for Naegleria fowleri.

The amoeba was initially detected by a university team conducting water tests at Queensland Health sites in Charleville. The Charleville Hospital, established in 1939, is one of the oldest hospitals in Queensland and has a high maintenance budget. Mayor Radnedge attributed the false detection to the hospital's aging infrastructure, which has faced issues with legionella bacteria in its water supply for over a decade. "Let's face it, it's not the first rodeo that we've had at that facility," he remarked, advocating for a new hospital in Charleville.

Ann Leahy, the Member for Warrego and Water Minister, acknowledged the need for infrastructure improvements. "I do know that it's an ageing piece of infrastructure and in future we will have to make sure that we look at replacing that hospital," she said. Leahy assured the public that there was no immediate safety risk, as the hospital uses medical filter heads on taps for patient use and has maintained a rigorous testing regime.

In response to the situation, the Queensland Health spokesperson stated that the detection was not solely due to hospital infrastructure, noting that the amoebas were found throughout the broader water distribution system. They also mentioned that Charleville Base Hospital has been chlorinating its incoming water supply since January 2021.

Following the initial health alert, residents were still able to drink the water but were advised to exercise caution when showering and to supervise children around water. Mayor Radnedge criticized the Public Health Unit's response, particularly the burden placed on the local council to communicate the risks. "How does a local government become front and centre to a public health alert?" he questioned.

The council incurred nearly $100,000 in costs for additional water testing to confirm the absence of Naegleria fowleri. Radnedge stated that such expenses are unsustainable for a regional council. Leahy mentioned that the state government is negotiating with the shire to address these unexpected costs.

She also highlighted the incident as a learning opportunity for improving public health communication. "The detection of this particular pathogen in the Murweh Shire has taught us a lot in how we go forward to make sure we keep the community informed but not alarmed," she said. Queensland Health is currently investigating potential improvements to the water systems in its health facilities within the Murweh Shire.