New Delhi: A US man died last week after being infected with a rare brain-eating amoeba. The Florida man reportedly became infected after rinsing his nasal sinuses with tap water.
Earlier on February 23, the Florida Department of Heath said a patient in Charlotte County had been infected with the brain-eating amoeba. It said the infection was “likely a result of sinus rinse practices using tap water”.
On Thursday (2 March) a spokesman for the state health agency confirmed that the patient had died.
Setting the record straight:
Infection with Naegleria fowleri is extremely rare and can only occur when water contaminated with the amoeba enters the body through the nose. You cannot get infected by drinking tap water. https://t.co/Arp2m5aaQz— Florida Department of Health (@HealthyFla) March 3, 2023
The spokesman said officials from several government agencies “are investigating how this infection occurred.”
Here’s everything you need to know about the brain-eating amoeba.
Brain-eating amoeba also known as Naegleria fowleri
The brain-eating amoeba is also known as Naegleria fowleri and is a microscopic single-celled living amoeba.
It is said to be commonly found in warm fresh water – such as lakes, rivers and hot springs – and in soil.
How does Naegleria fowleri infect people?
According to the US CDC, Naegleria fowleri infects people when water containing the amoeba enters the body through the nose.
This usually happens when people go swimming or when they put their head under fresh water in lakes or rivers.
The amoeba then travels from the nose to the brain and destroys brain tissue. It also causes a devastating infection called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), which is almost always fatal.
People can also become infected when they use contaminated tap water to clean their nose or rinse their sinuses (sending water into the nose) during religious practices.
Most Naegleria fowleri infections occur in young males, especially those 14 years of age and younger.
In the US, the mortality rate is over 97% as only four of the 154 known infected individuals between 1962 and 2021 survived.
Symptoms of the Brain-Eating Amoeba
The first symptoms of Naegleria fowleri usually begin five days after infection, but they can begin within 1 to 12 days.
Symptoms may include headache, fever, nausea or vomiting.
Later symptoms may include neck stiffness, confusion, loss of attention to people and surroundings, seizures, hallucinations, and coma.
According to the US CDC, after symptoms begin, the disease progresses rapidly and usually causes death within about five days (but death can occur within 1 to 18 days).