“I am very worried: there’s a water boiler alert in Miami Beach and here is what I find in my bathroom faucet running water,” writes Elodie in her submission regarding the thin objects pictured below. Right off the bat, we have to tell Elodie that we will not be able to provide a confident or accurate identification, due to the near-microscopic nature of these organisms. From the pictures alone, which are not too clear to begin with, we cannot see any identifying information about these organisms other than that they are thin and long – hairlike. We would not even be able to confirm if they actually are organisms or not, and Elodie does not necessarily state that she is confident about this either.

What we will say is that if Elodie has been drinking this water after the water boiler alert, which was due to a “a water main break“, and she is concerned about the objects she found in relation to her health, we recommend that she contact a medical parasitologist: a physician who specializes in identifying and treating ailments caused by organisms entering the body.

To find a medical parasitologist or other health care provider who can actually help, Elodie can do one or more of the following:
– Visit our parasite care resources page here: https://www.allaboutworms.com/get-medical-attention-and-tests-for-parasites

– Search for a medical parasitologist in Miami Beach using this directory of medical parasitology consultants: https://www.astmh.org/for-astmh-members/clinical-consultants-directory.

– Search for a local parasitologist by doing a Google search for “medical parasitologist Miami Beach” or “tropical medicine specialist Miami Beach”.

Additionally, we cannot comment on whether or not the water is safe to drink. According to the article linked above, drinking tap water during a main break should be avoided unless it is boiled beforehand. Otherwise, drinking bottled water is the safest way to go. But if Elodie wants updates on her current situation, she should contact the city. Likewise, only professionals would be able to ensure that her water boiler is not contaminated and is safe to drink from, so if she thinks it needs to be cleaned out, she should contact professionals to do this for her. If she wants to equip herself with further information, she could take these photos (and live samples of the organisms, if possible) to the entomology department at her nearest university, or to her local county extension office. There someone should be able to physically examine the organisms and might have a better chance at identifying them. Of course, if they suspect the worm could pose a potential health risk, they will tell Elodie what we told her: to consult a medical professional.

In conclusion, we do not know what is coming out of Elodie’s tap: the organisms are too small for us to tell. Besides, since Elodie’s concerns are health-related, we think it best to point her in the direction of medical professionals and her city, as they will be able to help her best. We hope we have still been able to help to some degree, and we wish Elodie the very best.

Summary

Article Name

Clear, Thread-like Worms Coming from Faucet After Water Main Break

Description

"I am very worried: there’s a water boiler alert in Miami Beach and here is what I find in my bathroom faucet running water," writes Elodie in her submission regarding the thin objects pictured below. Right off the bat, we have to tell Elodie that we will not be able to provide a confident or accurate identification, due to the near-microscopic nature of these organisms. From the pictures alone, which are not too clear to begin with, we cannot see any identifying information about these organisms other than that they are thin and long - hairlike. We would not even be able to confirm if they actually are organisms or not, and Elodie does not necessarily state that she is confident about this either.

Author

Worm Researcher Anton