Earlier this month, an 11-year-old Florida boy died after he was infected by a brain-eating amoeba while on vacation in Costa Rico. Now, a 9-year-old Kansas girl has suffered the same fate after swimming in several local lakes. Both children died from amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) caused by Naegleria fowleri.
Although rare, people die every summer from this brain-eating amoeba, usually a healthy, young person. The parasite doesn’t even like humans; it only attacks people when it is forced up the nose. These parasites are commonly found in warm freshwater, including lakes, rivers and hot springs, especially in Florida and Texas.
According to the CDC, when the amoeba becomes lodged into a person’s nose and starts looking for food, it ends up in the brain and begins quickly eating at neurons. The amoeba multiplies and the brain will swell, creating immense pressure until the brain stops working. The initial symptoms are exactly the same as bacterial meningitis and typically start within two to five days after the amoeba enters the nose. Symptoms include headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, and neck stiffness. Later symptoms include confusion, inattention to surroundings, and loss of balance, seizures and hallucinations. Death occurs within three to seven days after symptoms appear.
There is no effective treatment at the moment; the best course of action is prevention. Because the nose is the pathway of the amoeba, most infections occur from diving, water skiing, or performing water sports in which water is forced into the nose. This does not mean you should avoid swimming. Doctors and the CDC recommend wearing nose clips, holding your nose when under water, or not putting your head under water at all. Another good tip is to avoid stirring up a lot of sediment in shallow, warm water.
