Thursday, August 18, 2011

Family Warns Swimmers About Brain-Eating Amoeba

The heat of summer typically brings infections because Naegleria fowleri becomes active in warm fresh water — although it can also be found in geothermal pools, inadequately chlorinated swimming pool water or heated tap water of less than 117 degrees Fahrenheit (47 degrees Celsius), according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.



For an infection to occur, the amoeba must travel through the nose and sinuses to the brain. Then it infects the frontal part of the brain, particularly the olfactory bulbs and cerebral cortex. The amoeba does not intend to infect humans, Yoder said; it normally eats bacteria, but once inside the brain, it multiplies and feeds on brain cells.



As of 2008, officials knew of only one well-documented case of a victim surviving. The infection strikes perhaps three people in the United States each year. In many cases it is very easy to prevent — people can avoid warm fresh water or simply pinch their nose, which is where the amoeba enters — but for those who contract it, it is almost always fatal. No treatment exists.


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