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Teenager Becomes Second Victim of Rare ‘Brain-Eating Amoeba’ Infection
A teenager in central North Carolina has died after contracting a rare and devastating infection caused by Naegleria fowleri, commonly referred to as the “brain-eating amoeba”.
Health officials confirmed the death on August 27, making the teenager the second person in the United States to die from the infection in roughly two weeks. Authorities have not released the teenager’s identity out of respect for the family’s privacy.
The announcement came shortly after the death of eight-year-old Lillian Smart in Louisiana. Lillian’s family said she died after suffering severe brain injuries caused by the infection. Health officials believe she may have been exposed while swimming in Lake Claiborne.
What is the ‘brain-eating amoeba’?
Naegleria fowleri is a microscopic organism that naturally occurs in warm freshwater, including lakes, rivers and ponds.
The infection is extremely rare. However, when it does occur, the consequences can be devastating. The amoeba can enter the body when contaminated water is forced up the nose, allowing it to travel towards the brain and cause a serious infection known as primary amebic meningoencephalitis
Importantly, people do not become infected simply by swallowing contaminated water, and the infection does not normally spread from person to person.
Symptoms can develop rapidly
Early symptoms can include a severe headache, fever, nausea and vomiting. As the infection progresses, patients can develop a stiff neck, seizures, confusion and eventually coma.
Because the disease progresses extremely quickly and is so uncommon, diagnosing it can be difficult.
How can people reduce the risk?
Health authorities recommend taking precautions when swimming or participating in water activities in warm freshwater.
People can reduce their exposure by keeping their head above the water, holding their nose or using nose clips, avoiding diving or jumping into warm freshwater and avoiding disturbing sediment at the bottom of lakes and ponds.
Officials stress that while Naegleria fowleri can sound frightening, infection remains extraordinarily rare.
For the North Carolina teenager’s family, however, the rare infection has resulted in an unimaginable loss, while health officials continue investigating where the exposure occurred.
Attached is a news article regarding a brain eating disorder called amoeba
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c79ven0xxyqo
Article written and configured by Christopher Stanley
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