Missouri Swimmer is Diagnosed With a Rare Brain-Eating Amoeba

Missouri residents were admitted to intensive care after contracting a rare brain-eating virus. Officials said they probably contracted it while swimming in a lake in Iowa.

As a precautionary measure to prevent a confirmed Naegleria fowleri infection, the Taylor County Department of Health and Human Services closed the beach at Lake of Three Fires, Taylor County on Friday.In a statement.

“Naegleria fowleri is a microscopic single-celled free-living amoeba that can cause a rare life-threatening infection of the brain called primary amebic meningoencephalitis,”or PAM,” the health department wrote. It noted that tests are being done to determine if amoeba was present in the Missouri lake where the resident swam.

“Testing … is being conducted in conjunction with the CDC and could take several days to complete,”The health department wrote.

Naegleria Fowleri is a common infection in warm freshwater. It can be found in lakes, rivers, and even ponds. When amoeba water enters the body via the nose, it causes the person to become infected. The amoeba then travels to and destroys brain tissue. “This infection cannot be spread from one person to another, and it cannot be contracted by swallowing contaminated water,”The health department wrote.

The incidence of PAM is extremely low. There have been only 154 known cases of PAM in the United States since 1962. No additional cases are being investigated by authorities in Missouri or Iowa. This case is thought to be the first one in Iowa. The condition is rare but extremely dangerous. Only four of the 154 infected Americans from 1962 to 2021 were able to survive.

“It’s the worst parasite in the world that we know of because it causes such devastating pathology,”Christopher Rice is a research scientist at the University of Georgia’s Center for Drug Discovery.CBS. A sample of cerebral spinal fluid is needed to confirm a person has been infected with the parasite, he said, noting it is a difficult condition to diagnose.

“While this infection is extremely rare in the United States, people who experience the following symptoms after swimming in any warm body of water should contact their health care provider immediately,” the health department wrote, listing severe headache, fever, nausea, vomiting and stiff neck as symptoms of which to be aware.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that symptoms may progress to include hallucinations, seizures, altered mental state, and coma. The CDC states that symptoms usually appear within one to nine working days of being infected. Most people die within 14 days of onset of symptoms.

“Overall, the outlook for people who get this disease is poor, although early diagnosis and new treatments might increase the chances for survival,”According to the CDC.

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