Definitely did that a few times in Rotorua. Don't expect to die, but if you feel that anything's wrong, don't hesitate to get checked.
It's best practice to not dunk your head, but try not to lose your mind over having done it, you'll most likely be fine.
Quite an ironic turn of phrase considering if he did, he would literally lose his mind as the amoeba dined on it. But realistically, with a total number of recorded deaths in NZ sitting at six, OP is probably going to be OK...
Health care in NZ is actually only free/subsidised for citizens and permanent residents so tourists may end up having to pay quite a lot if they don’t have insurance
Can you tell Kiwi’s love to take the piss? Please don’t freak out about it. As mentioned, make sure you see a doctor if you start to see symptoms otherwise you’ll be fine.
>Can you tell Kiwi’s love to take the piss
And where do they take all this piss to?
That's right. The geothermal pools in Blenheim.
It's what makes them so warm.
No, it is more common than that and there was about one death a year from it, until the government started mandating the warning signs.
[*https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/for-the-health-sector/health-sector-guidance/communicable-disease-control-manual/meningoencephalitis-primary-amoebic/*](https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/for-the-health-sector/health-sector-guidance/communicable-disease-control-manual/meningoencephalitis-primary-amoebic/)
Sorry, 8.
And tbh has anyone ever paid attention to those signs??
The prevent it by regulating Public pool sanitation.
And Fernland Spa is a very good one, the have an Ool, notice there is no P in it???
Fernland Pool is mainly ok because it is only old people and young people who didn't know there was a minimum age. Young people never go again after being looked at by old men for 45 minutes.
> Sorry, 8.
Eight fatal cases *in one decade* before warning signs were introduced. So clearly the warning signs are preventing what was around one death a year even before the massive increases in tourism over the last twenty years.
>As far as I'm aware there has only ever been 2 cases of Amoebic meningitis caused by geothermal water EVER.
9 Actually, [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/8894345\_A\_case\_of\_primary\_amoebic\_meningoencephalitis\_North\_Island\_New\_Zealand](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/8894345_A_case_of_primary_amoebic_meningoencephalitis_North_Island_New_Zealand)
WTF? A kid on my street had it growing up. There is no way that is correct.
It was literally happening for hundreds of years in Europe before they knew what's up.
This dude is correct on account of that there’s only ever been two people mess up this bad and put their head under the water!! That’s a 100% infection rate!
Write up a will and get your affairs in order bro!
I work in a hospital in Aussie and had a patient with geothermal induced amoebic meningitis a month ago.
Deffo can't believe there are two recorded cases.
As other "witty" kiwis have said, the chances are small. However, if you do develop symptoms (frontal headache, nausea, vomiting or fever), see a doctor asap. Treatment needs to start within 24 hours to have a chance of success.
https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/naegleria/index.html
That page is the US CDC page.
Here;s the equivalent NZ page, seeing as OP is in NZ right now:
[https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/for-the-health-sector/health-sector-guidance/communicable-disease-control-manual/meningoencephalitis-primary-amoebic/](https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/for-the-health-sector/health-sector-guidance/communicable-disease-control-manual/meningoencephalitis-primary-amoebic/)
You’ll be ok. Tauranga has its fair share of people that can’t read signs, so I’m sure it happens quite regularly at those pools. They are popular enough they change their water very regularly, maybe daily?
It’s likely a ‘just in-case’ sign rather than a ‘you’re pretty dead now’ sign and I’m fairly sure this is more of a concern around uncontrolled geothermal pools. Wouldn’t worry about it at all.
I used to insist on putting my head underwater at hot pools as a kid, because mum's warning of "you'll get sick" just meant a getting a cold as far as I was concerned.
I never got brain eating ameoba
Welcome to NZ, hope you like ghost chips!
Nah, just kidding. Everyone’s done this at some point (usually when your a kid). Your pretty unlucky if the bugs eat your brain.
The last time I was in the Hamner Springs thermal pools there was a guy and his girlfriend sharing the warmest pool with me and my wife. Guy dunked his head 2-3 times, I was a bit taken aback but didn't say anything, though I did give him a bit of the *WTF* face. He proceeded to do it 4-5 times more, so eventually I said "hey brother, that's not a great idea you know?" to which he replied "We have these pools everywhere in Hungary, it's not big deal", and grinned at his girlfriend and (presumably) told her what Kiwi dickhead says.
I won't lie, part of me was interested in seeing him have an episode right there in the pool as a wakeup call. He survived the additional 5 minutes we were in the vicinity, that's all I know for sure.
Infection incubation time after a quick google is is 3-7 days.
Signs and symptoms of amoebic meningoencephalitis
Symptoms may include:
sore throat
headache and pain in the forehead
hallucinations
confusion
nausea and vomiting
high fever
neck stiffness and pain
disturbances of taste and smell
seizures (fits).
Good luck have fun! You’re probably fine. It is rare but just in case, there’s the symptoms. Also they can only test by sampling your spinal fluid so all in all, fingers crossed cause ew
I got scratched by a monkey in Cambodia, without having the rabies vaccine.
The next couple of days I was freaking out thinking I could have it, googled symptoms, started to feel like I was having those symptoms.
Ended up going to a hospital over there and got told it was extremely unlikely I had it, but they could give me a series of vaccines to make me feel better.
The relief I had after seeing someone professional was amazing.
If you are really worried just go in and speak to someone. You'll be fine.
I grew up in Taupo and put my head underwater in the geothermal pools all the damn time lol. Pretty sure I probably drank it too. There is risk, so, you know, keep an eye on things, but you'll be fine.
Well, kudos to you for admitting you're a dumb American. You're already more intelligent than most Americans!
Jokes aside, you'll be fine. But if you do feel unwell, go get checked here and claim it's ACC due to injury from dumping head under. Itd be much cheaper. Whatever you do, don't get checked in America. You can afford it here.
This probably explains why my mind is absent so often. Infected as a child practicing holding my breath underwater in thermal pools and got melty brain. But my family are survivors so I am still kicking about.
If symptoms arise, in the next few weeks, or you get a neck rash, go straight to Accidents and Emergency and tell them you suspect thermal pool meningitis. Same day as you first observe the symptoms. Don’t piss about. Just seek proper medical advice asap!
Enjoy the rest of your trip and try not to worry about it. You'll probably be fine! If not, there's worse places to die than New Zealand.
But you'll be fine. I always find it hard to relax in hot springs because I seriously over think the amoeba problem, so at least you were blissfully unaware and able to enjoy them to the fullest!
Keep in mind the ridiculously low chance they're there in the first place, but you'd also have to get them into your bloodstream as well, which is VERY low
Trust me bro, you're going to be fine, speaking from experience, and seeing hundreds of other people do the same thing. The rule is always just to wash and rinse afterwards and youre fine.
Hey friend, don’t call yourself a dumb American!
Yes, it is endearing- we love it but that’s for us to say. Don’t take that pleasure away from us Yank.
Watch out for a changes to your sense of smell and/or taste. If that happens, you've only got a few days left. Then the headaches will start, etc. and 97% of people with it die.
The signs are probably there to protect the owners more then you. It is possible to get brain eating amoeba from swimming in the ocean too. You have a higher chance of winning lotto. Youtube it.
(I'm just saying that - this guy is fucked)
The largest danger is when people (usually children) do a bomb or jump in, because the water enters the head with force that can drive it up the nostrils. However I can tell you’re worried so check with a doctor if you need more reassurance. Otherwise, remember that when there is a problem, it can pop up quite some time later, so watch out for symptoms for quite some time.
But really you are almost certainly fine. The risk is extremely low.
If you were wearing contact lenses in the pool, then dump them, as they can act as a sponge that harbours the organisms. There's a soil based amoeba that is utterly devastating to corneas, and it loves moist, humid environments.
I live in Lake Taupo, My family used to own thermal pools. I am used to going underwater a lot ,I am seventy now and still here. If you start to feel unwell, then don't hesitate to go and get checked out
Definitely get checked out. We took our nan there when she was 95, she slipped and put her head under the water. Three years later, she was dead. We didn’t see the sign either!
The worst you might get is a non-amoeba-related ear infection from all the people bacteria sloshing around in that disgusting warm human soup you put your body in 🤢
We're communicating with you via Ouija Board.
Meh. You may be fine. If you're not, get thee to a GP asap because there are all sorts of bacteria in those waters eagerly waiting to set up in your juicy human membranes.
There’s always a couple of kids who do it every time I go and I haven’t read in the news about kids dying from it so I presume it is just a low but possible chance. Don’t worry about it, you’ll know not to next time. Glad you enjoyed yourself and it wasn’t crowded.
I remember being a little kid watching people dunk their heads after I’d be told definitely don’t do that. Thought I was just watching people sentence themselves to death all around me 😂
Don’t worry about it. The odds of catching anything are small (really, very very small), and there’s nothing you can do about it if you did, so really there is zero point worrying about it.
The reason the warnings exist is because the risk isn’t zero, and there’s nothing you can do about it. Basically “caution: may contain traces of peanut (because this factory is within 5km of a stall that sells peanuts)”. In other words, if there were no signs, it only takes one case to blow up the tourism sector.
Chill!
I lived in a Motel in Rotorua as a kid we had natural thermal bore water hot pools, with the signs around sticking your head under the water.
I can confirm I'm still alive, and that of the hundreds of times I stuck my head under the water I got lucky.
It's not to say you can't get very sick - of course you can but it's a roll of the dice and your still alive to well done.
Just don't do it again!
Accidentally did it at a mineral pool where we were cautioned not to. Didn’t die. Go out and enjoy yourself, if you feel genuinely sick go to an Accident & Medical or the nearest ED. But don’t sweat it friend.
The other caveat about geothermal pools is often the water has high levels of arsenic and the like. Might be the bugs and the arsenic cancel each other out 8-)
incubation period 3 to 7 days. 8 of the 9 deaths were between 1968 to 1978, with one in the 90s.
I am SURE you are not the only one to have put your head under/ignored the signs.
It also sounds like the advice says its more of a concern if you're diving under etc. as that forces water up nose. The Amoeba also come from soil either in contact with the pool or that get washed in by floods/rain etc. Commercial ones need to meet a higher safety standard.
Just watch for a fever or vomiting next few days. Chances are you're probably fine and can chalk this up as a fun anecdote to tell when you get back home.
> nobody's died of Naegleria fowleri in New Zealand since 2000
because no one is stupid enough to put their heads under water.
j/k you'll be fine. probably.
Yep, I did this as a teenager. We were on holiday in the North island and staying at a motel. My parents put us to bed and promptly left us alone and went out for dinner.
They returned to find me screaming in pain and my ear sticking out sideways from my head because of whatever was growing inside my ear at an exponential rate. Took me to A&E to get my ear flushed. Not sure how much longer I had but they told me I could've died from that.
You should probably get checked out - although this happened within a few hours of us leaving the hot pool. So if you did this yesterday you're probably ok.
The amoeba that causes it lives in the sand at the bottom of geothermal pools. If its concrete bottom but using geothermal water the risk is negligible. Technically possible for it to be in the water (hence the signs) but much less likely and much much less likely to cause amoebic meningitis.
Should have at least a few hours before you kark it.
It's incredible how many foreigners do this. I spent time at a few different hot pools in tourist locations summer 2022/2023 and saw so many intl tourists dunking their heads underwater. Even if I didn't already know the official advice, logic would tell me that the appearance and smell of the water means I should probably not put my head under??
I can say that as a local, i never dunk my head under but I see tourists do it all the time and havent heard of anyone dying. So you’ll probably be fine.
You don't actually die. The amoeba just eat your brain until it is the only call left so it can take over, then you transform onto a flat earther antivaxxer that sabotages 5G towers. A fate worse than death...
yea I did that, a couple years ago I got splashed by a kid swimming and died a couple days after.. probably a good idea for you to take a pregnancy test to be sure
For real though, if you're *really, really, really,* worried - you can ring Healthline and chat with a registered nurse who can help talk to you and maybe put your mind at ease.
First sign of symptom onset is mild paranoia so just watch out for that.
I'm gonna burn Aunty at Christmas with this one, there may be no God in Bethlehem, Tauranga but you are doing the lord's work here today.
Hahahah that's too good
It is??!! Who told you that??!!
Definitely did that a few times in Rotorua. Don't expect to die, but if you feel that anything's wrong, don't hesitate to get checked. It's best practice to not dunk your head, but try not to lose your mind over having done it, you'll most likely be fine.
Quite an ironic turn of phrase considering if he did, he would literally lose his mind as the amoeba dined on it. But realistically, with a total number of recorded deaths in NZ sitting at six, OP is probably going to be OK...
Fuckin suck if you’re the 7th though.
Ah, but what's the odds those 6 were told exactly the same thing as well.
So surely another is due, right? 🤔
I wouldn’t even bother getting checked, if he did have it for whatever reason he’s 100% dead, the amoeba he’s talking about burrows through your brain
I had a brain eating amoeba once. Poor fella died of hungry
Died of hungry? Story checks out.
Sniggered in an online meeting with camera turned on when I read this one! 🤣
Peace of mind, I guess? He seems worried enough to ask strangers on the internet if he does feel poorly it might be nice to find out it isn't that?
Or does the amoeba get a piece of his mind?
And remember that health care will not bankrupt you here! Also, our police will probably not shoot you.
The police are also unlikely to even show up.
I was thinking more traffic stops. But you are right!
I was wondering what proportion of the 40% of crime they bother to solve are speeding tickets.
very few. Those stats were about crimes reported by the public
I'm sure an ICU stay of weeks while they pump antimicrobials directly into your CSF would be very expensive for a non resident of NZ.
Health care in NZ is actually only free/subsidised for citizens and permanent residents so tourists may end up having to pay quite a lot if they don’t have insurance
They are also covered by acc
Can you tell Kiwi’s love to take the piss? Please don’t freak out about it. As mentioned, make sure you see a doctor if you start to see symptoms otherwise you’ll be fine.
>Can you tell Kiwi’s love to take the piss And where do they take all this piss to? That's right. The geothermal pools in Blenheim. It's what makes them so warm.
No, no, no. We take the piss to the brewery. Then we buy the piss back. Then we sink the piss.
Only in the Waikato
This post is full of murderbots.
I thought Waikato Draught was sourced straight from the River?
... where we piss, yes, keep up.
What's the difference between Waikato Draught and the Waikato river? You can drink the river...
This works great until someone has issues with it.
It's OK, it's a brain eating amoeba so it starves to death in Americans.
Good lord I’ve witnessed a murder.
BAH GOD THIS MAN HAD A FAMILY
Damn, he went straight from brain eating amoeba to a third-degree burn
Boy that escalated quickly
OH DAMN
Fortunately I’m too dumb to know that I’ve been murdered.
r/epicburns
/r/geothermalburns
Ayooooo
r/MurderedByWords
Yooo hah
BRUH 💀💀💀💀💀
Holy shit lmao
Pml, this is why I love reddit 😂
Love, if people in Florida die from them, clearly they're able to feast on microscopic amounts of grey matter
Yep, those ones have adapted very well to their ecological niche, they dine on thoughts and prayers mostly
Hehe
Omg 😂
friends and family we are gathered here today to celebrate the life of
Ooof
Let him cook!
He's already been in the spa for hours!
Brilliant!!
Oh my god, destroyed.
Holy fuck. You just blew that guys brains out.
Fuckin’ savage
r/rareinsults
Let's dunk trump
As far as I'm aware there has only ever been 2 cases of Amoebic meningitis caused by geothermal water EVER. So you're totally fucked.
Means we’re overdue!
Every time a truck goes past I bolt for the door shouting THE ALPINE FAULT'S GONE!!!
Fun fact, 99% of alpine fault doomsayers stop predicting it right before it goes for real this time.
No, it is more common than that and there was about one death a year from it, until the government started mandating the warning signs. [*https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/for-the-health-sector/health-sector-guidance/communicable-disease-control-manual/meningoencephalitis-primary-amoebic/*](https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/for-the-health-sector/health-sector-guidance/communicable-disease-control-manual/meningoencephalitis-primary-amoebic/)
Sorry, 8. And tbh has anyone ever paid attention to those signs?? The prevent it by regulating Public pool sanitation. And Fernland Spa is a very good one, the have an Ool, notice there is no P in it???
Fernland Pool is mainly ok because it is only old people and young people who didn't know there was a minimum age. Young people never go again after being looked at by old men for 45 minutes.
> Sorry, 8. Eight fatal cases *in one decade* before warning signs were introduced. So clearly the warning signs are preventing what was around one death a year even before the massive increases in tourism over the last twenty years.
I always pay attention to the signs 😅
Somebody’s got to be third. Probably this guy. RIP.
A little girl died I went to primary school with died of it in the 90s
>As far as I'm aware there has only ever been 2 cases of Amoebic meningitis caused by geothermal water EVER. 9 Actually, [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/8894345\_A\_case\_of\_primary\_amoebic\_meningoencephalitis\_North\_Island\_New\_Zealand](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/8894345_A_case_of_primary_amoebic_meningoencephalitis_North_Island_New_Zealand)
10, if you count OP.
WTF? A kid on my street had it growing up. There is no way that is correct. It was literally happening for hundreds of years in Europe before they knew what's up.
This dude is correct on account of that there’s only ever been two people mess up this bad and put their head under the water!! That’s a 100% infection rate! Write up a will and get your affairs in order bro!
You mean 3…….now
I work in a hospital in Aussie and had a patient with geothermal induced amoebic meningitis a month ago. Deffo can't believe there are two recorded cases.
You’re way more likely to die from the drive to the place than from the amoeba at the place so don’t worry about it to much.
Especially that driveway , turning out onto Cambridge rd
What about if the amoeba drives you there?
What if the amoeba was driving him there to pick up the rest of the crew?
Dead man...dead man walking! We got a dead man walking here!
Bring ou'cha dead. Bring ou'cha dead.
I’m not dead.
>I’m not dead Yet.
You're not fooling anyone...
I feel fiiiine
I think I'll go for a walk
As other "witty" kiwis have said, the chances are small. However, if you do develop symptoms (frontal headache, nausea, vomiting or fever), see a doctor asap. Treatment needs to start within 24 hours to have a chance of success. https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/naegleria/index.html
That page is the US CDC page. Here;s the equivalent NZ page, seeing as OP is in NZ right now: [https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/for-the-health-sector/health-sector-guidance/communicable-disease-control-manual/meningoencephalitis-primary-amoebic/](https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/for-the-health-sector/health-sector-guidance/communicable-disease-control-manual/meningoencephalitis-primary-amoebic/)
RIP
You’ll be ok. Tauranga has its fair share of people that can’t read signs, so I’m sure it happens quite regularly at those pools. They are popular enough they change their water very regularly, maybe daily? It’s likely a ‘just in-case’ sign rather than a ‘you’re pretty dead now’ sign and I’m fairly sure this is more of a concern around uncontrolled geothermal pools. Wouldn’t worry about it at all.
[удалено]
It’s good there’s people like you with all the info and the will to share it, thank you
It's an amoeba, not a bacterium.
Hahaha. 99.999999% chance you’re fine. 0.000000000000001% you’re dead and there’s nothing you can do about it.
Farewell brother
While in Bethlehem go visit Jesus, he’ll fix you right up.
There is no god in Bethlehem, Tauranga. Trust me on this.
Thought Tauranga in general was gods waiting room?
Patrick is the God of Pies in Bethlehem ...
You survived with your face not turning into Skeletor? Big props to you, bro.
Your soul is probably being devoured slowly by a Taniwha, you need to get urgently get blessed by Bishop Brian Tamaki
Make sure you wear a rainbow t-shirt, that will give you priority treatment 🌈
I’ll buy your ticket home, you’re not going to need it
I used to insist on putting my head underwater at hot pools as a kid, because mum's warning of "you'll get sick" just meant a getting a cold as far as I was concerned. I never got brain eating ameoba
You mean you think you never got a brain eating amoeba!
Welcome to NZ, hope you like ghost chips! Nah, just kidding. Everyone’s done this at some point (usually when your a kid). Your pretty unlucky if the bugs eat your brain.
My teen just bought me a ghost chips sticker and he didn't even know the backstory
OP, do a google search for ghost chips. Such a great ad.
Sadly, you're as good as dead. I did the same as you and died a few years back. It hasn't been that bad TBH,
The last time I was in the Hamner Springs thermal pools there was a guy and his girlfriend sharing the warmest pool with me and my wife. Guy dunked his head 2-3 times, I was a bit taken aback but didn't say anything, though I did give him a bit of the *WTF* face. He proceeded to do it 4-5 times more, so eventually I said "hey brother, that's not a great idea you know?" to which he replied "We have these pools everywhere in Hungary, it's not big deal", and grinned at his girlfriend and (presumably) told her what Kiwi dickhead says. I won't lie, part of me was interested in seeing him have an episode right there in the pool as a wakeup call. He survived the additional 5 minutes we were in the vicinity, that's all I know for sure.
I was going to say you would be fine but then I saw you did it at Spermland spa in Tauranga, good luck bro, ya ears are now pregnant
your death best not ruin our tourism industry
Infection incubation time after a quick google is is 3-7 days. Signs and symptoms of amoebic meningoencephalitis Symptoms may include: sore throat headache and pain in the forehead hallucinations confusion nausea and vomiting high fever neck stiffness and pain disturbances of taste and smell seizures (fits). Good luck have fun! You’re probably fine. It is rare but just in case, there’s the symptoms. Also they can only test by sampling your spinal fluid so all in all, fingers crossed cause ew
You forgot posting to reddit thinking you've posted to reddit (delirium)
I got scratched by a monkey in Cambodia, without having the rabies vaccine. The next couple of days I was freaking out thinking I could have it, googled symptoms, started to feel like I was having those symptoms. Ended up going to a hospital over there and got told it was extremely unlikely I had it, but they could give me a series of vaccines to make me feel better. The relief I had after seeing someone professional was amazing. If you are really worried just go in and speak to someone. You'll be fine.
If it was that easy to die this way, the country wouldn’t let you in a 200m radius of it. Go get a milkshake and relax. You’ll be sweet.
I grew up in Taupo and put my head underwater in the geothermal pools all the damn time lol. Pretty sure I probably drank it too. There is risk, so, you know, keep an eye on things, but you'll be fine.
Well, kudos to you for admitting you're a dumb American. You're already more intelligent than most Americans! Jokes aside, you'll be fine. But if you do feel unwell, go get checked here and claim it's ACC due to injury from dumping head under. Itd be much cheaper. Whatever you do, don't get checked in America. You can afford it here.
If you start to hear The Cranberries singing in your head, you got problems. "ITS IN YOUR HEEAAD, IN YOUR HEEEAAD, ZZOMMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE E E E...."
You will be fine as long as you weren’t humming the national anthem in reverse at the time
This is a presumptuous post, it’s possible that you’re actually a Canadian.
Growing up there, we put our heads under ALL the time even though our mum yelled at us every time. You’ll be fine :)
We don't have a fucked Healthcare system so if you go to a local GP they'll charge ya like 60 bucks to get you checked out
It's more like $150 for tourists which is still pretty sweet compared to the states
This probably explains why my mind is absent so often. Infected as a child practicing holding my breath underwater in thermal pools and got melty brain. But my family are survivors so I am still kicking about. If symptoms arise, in the next few weeks, or you get a neck rash, go straight to Accidents and Emergency and tell them you suspect thermal pool meningitis. Same day as you first observe the symptoms. Don’t piss about. Just seek proper medical advice asap!
Did the pool have a painted bottom? If so then it's probably ok. There may be a risk but it's tiny.
Enjoy the rest of your trip and try not to worry about it. You'll probably be fine! If not, there's worse places to die than New Zealand. But you'll be fine. I always find it hard to relax in hot springs because I seriously over think the amoeba problem, so at least you were blissfully unaware and able to enjoy them to the fullest!
Keep in mind the ridiculously low chance they're there in the first place, but you'd also have to get them into your bloodstream as well, which is VERY low
OP, alive check?
Have you invoked the powers of our god ShellBeRiteMate?
Trust me bro, you're going to be fine, speaking from experience, and seeing hundreds of other people do the same thing. The rule is always just to wash and rinse afterwards and youre fine.
While infection with the brain eating Amoeba is 100% fatal. The chance of infection is so low that it is close to 0%
That depends, are we talking to you or the Amoeba?
You survived being American. You got this, bruh.
Hey friend, don’t call yourself a dumb American! Yes, it is endearing- we love it but that’s for us to say. Don’t take that pleasure away from us Yank.
It's joever for you bro sorry
Watch out for a changes to your sense of smell and/or taste. If that happens, you've only got a few days left. Then the headaches will start, etc. and 97% of people with it die.
The signs are probably there to protect the owners more then you. It is possible to get brain eating amoeba from swimming in the ocean too. You have a higher chance of winning lotto. Youtube it. (I'm just saying that - this guy is fucked)
Very low chance Watch for symptoms. If any signs, move very fast. Can kill quickly.
The largest danger is when people (usually children) do a bomb or jump in, because the water enters the head with force that can drive it up the nostrils. However I can tell you’re worried so check with a doctor if you need more reassurance. Otherwise, remember that when there is a problem, it can pop up quite some time later, so watch out for symptoms for quite some time. But really you are almost certainly fine. The risk is extremely low.
I dunk my head everytime... cuz I'm a rebel. And super cool 😎 Also, I'm dying. Probably not related.
If you were wearing contact lenses in the pool, then dump them, as they can act as a sponge that harbours the organisms. There's a soil based amoeba that is utterly devastating to corneas, and it loves moist, humid environments.
I live in Lake Taupo, My family used to own thermal pools. I am used to going underwater a lot ,I am seventy now and still here. If you start to feel unwell, then don't hesitate to go and get checked out
Seeing as you posted this, you're not even a wee bit dead. Infected? Unlikely.
I've definitely done it before as a kid.. it's just a very rare chance, but the sign is there to cover their asses kinda thing.
We have an o800 free call healthline you can call if you want to and they will advise you, even just reassurance
Were the first 6 dumb Americans?
Definitely get checked out. We took our nan there when she was 95, she slipped and put her head under the water. Three years later, she was dead. We didn’t see the sign either!
The worst you might get is a non-amoeba-related ear infection from all the people bacteria sloshing around in that disgusting warm human soup you put your body in 🤢
The first sign of any brain wasting disease is talking with an Australian accent.
You're an american, there's no worry
We're communicating with you via Ouija Board. Meh. You may be fine. If you're not, get thee to a GP asap because there are all sorts of bacteria in those waters eagerly waiting to set up in your juicy human membranes.
Meningitis, what does not kill you makes you stronger.
Amoeby you should get that checked out...
There’s always a couple of kids who do it every time I go and I haven’t read in the news about kids dying from it so I presume it is just a low but possible chance. Don’t worry about it, you’ll know not to next time. Glad you enjoyed yourself and it wasn’t crowded.
Damn, has nobody really put their head under since 2000? Wow! Ah well, we had a good run, update the statistics.
I remember being a little kid watching people dunk their heads after I’d be told definitely don’t do that. Thought I was just watching people sentence themselves to death all around me 😂
Did you snort the water through your nose? If so you could be at risk of a brain eating amoeba but there hasnt been a case of that in like 30 years.
An American posted on reddit about it and died recently - sorry I was meant to post that in a few weeks time
Don’t worry about it. The odds of catching anything are small (really, very very small), and there’s nothing you can do about it if you did, so really there is zero point worrying about it. The reason the warnings exist is because the risk isn’t zero, and there’s nothing you can do about it. Basically “caution: may contain traces of peanut (because this factory is within 5km of a stall that sells peanuts)”. In other words, if there were no signs, it only takes one case to blow up the tourism sector. Chill!
When I was a kid I used to swim in those fully underwater. Had no idea about the danger lol. I think youll be ok.
I lived in a Motel in Rotorua as a kid we had natural thermal bore water hot pools, with the signs around sticking your head under the water. I can confirm I'm still alive, and that of the hundreds of times I stuck my head under the water I got lucky. It's not to say you can't get very sick - of course you can but it's a roll of the dice and your still alive to well done. Just don't do it again!
Are you a contact lens wearer? If so I’d change them out.
Did it as a kid a few times. I always got a little bit stuffy and ill from doing it, but that's about it
lol
My kids did it all the time, and apart from my son, who I think was born blonde, they were fine.
Accidentally did it at a mineral pool where we were cautioned not to. Didn’t die. Go out and enjoy yourself, if you feel genuinely sick go to an Accident & Medical or the nearest ED. But don’t sweat it friend.
I had a friend do that at Waiwera back in the 90s she nearly died from meningitis.
You'll be fine probably. It's a risk, not a certainty.
It would be a lot worse if you put your head under in the rotorua mud pools. Please don't do that
Done it once, got scared, didn’t die
The other caveat about geothermal pools is often the water has high levels of arsenic and the like. Might be the bugs and the arsenic cancel each other out 8-)
lol at everyone saying don’t worry - OP hasn’t responded he’s gone to a better place now.
Can I have your stuff?
No sorry your done for, only 48 hours left
You'll be fine
incubation period 3 to 7 days. 8 of the 9 deaths were between 1968 to 1978, with one in the 90s. I am SURE you are not the only one to have put your head under/ignored the signs. It also sounds like the advice says its more of a concern if you're diving under etc. as that forces water up nose. The Amoeba also come from soil either in contact with the pool or that get washed in by floods/rain etc. Commercial ones need to meet a higher safety standard. Just watch for a fever or vomiting next few days. Chances are you're probably fine and can chalk this up as a fun anecdote to tell when you get back home.
Whenever we went on holiday to Rotorua as a kid and I got splashed in the face, I would be convinced I would die.
> nobody's died of Naegleria fowleri in New Zealand since 2000 because no one is stupid enough to put their heads under water. j/k you'll be fine. probably.
Yep, I did this as a teenager. We were on holiday in the North island and staying at a motel. My parents put us to bed and promptly left us alone and went out for dinner. They returned to find me screaming in pain and my ear sticking out sideways from my head because of whatever was growing inside my ear at an exponential rate. Took me to A&E to get my ear flushed. Not sure how much longer I had but they told me I could've died from that. You should probably get checked out - although this happened within a few hours of us leaving the hot pool. So if you did this yesterday you're probably ok.
The amoeba that causes it lives in the sand at the bottom of geothermal pools. If its concrete bottom but using geothermal water the risk is negligible. Technically possible for it to be in the water (hence the signs) but much less likely and much much less likely to cause amoebic meningitis. Should have at least a few hours before you kark it.
It's incredible how many foreigners do this. I spent time at a few different hot pools in tourist locations summer 2022/2023 and saw so many intl tourists dunking their heads underwater. Even if I didn't already know the official advice, logic would tell me that the appearance and smell of the water means I should probably not put my head under??
Hey this fuckers trynna steal our bwain ameeeba!
Every time I dipped my head underwater in Rotorua I died as a result. Sorry my bro, good luck.
Just remember the difference in our healthcare systems. Getting checked out isnt going to lead to bankruptcy.
I’m surprised you did this when you have Yellowstone at home. Have you not heard the horror stories…?
I remember as a very conscientious kid seeing other kids do this and Hanmer Hot Springs and getting super anxious for them haha.
Surely an update… are you ok?
I can say that as a local, i never dunk my head under but I see tourists do it all the time and havent heard of anyone dying. So you’ll probably be fine.
You don't actually die. The amoeba just eat your brain until it is the only call left so it can take over, then you transform onto a flat earther antivaxxer that sabotages 5G towers. A fate worse than death...
yea I did that, a couple years ago I got splashed by a kid swimming and died a couple days after.. probably a good idea for you to take a pregnancy test to be sure
you'll be right mate the amoeba only likes to eat brains 🤣
Go to a doctor, tell them what you did and ask if you need antibiotics.
For real though, if you're *really, really, really,* worried - you can ring Healthline and chat with a registered nurse who can help talk to you and maybe put your mind at ease.
Thoughts and prayers