A Florida resident has died after becoming infected with a rare brain-eating amoeba.
A death linked to Naegleria fowleri infection has prompted health officials in Charlotte County, south-west Florida, in the US, to advise residents to avoid washing their faces with tap water. The person most likely became infected after cleaning their nasal passages with tap water, according to reports made by BBC news.
The victim has not been identified, according to US health professionals. However, multiple government agencies are collaborating with local public utilities to find potential links and take the necessary protective action.
What is this brain-eating infection?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes Naegleria as a free-living amoeba, a microscopic single-celled organism that can only be seen under a microscope. It is typically found in soil and warm freshwater environments (such as lakes, rivers and hot springs).
It can lead to severe infection if it enters through the nose, but it is normally safe through the mouth because stomach acid kills the single-cell micro-organism.
How does Naegleria fowleri infect people?
Naegleria fowleri infects people when water containing the amoeba enters the body through the nose. This typically happens when people go swimming or diving, or when they put their heads under fresh water, like in lakes and rivers. The amoeba then travels up the nose to the brain, where it destroys the brain tissue and causes a devastating infection called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). PAM is almost always fatal.
As reported by the CDC, Naegleria fowleri infections are extremely rare. From 2012 to 2021, there were only 0–5 cases detected annually in the US.
Symptoms and treatment:
Include headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, disorientation, a stiff neck, a loss of balance, seizures, and/or hallucinations.
The disease has no known effective treatments, killing roughly 97% of those who contract it.
Until authorities give the all-clear, residents have been advised to prevent any water from entering the nose, at least for the time being, according to Dr Mobeen Rathore, a disease expert at the University of Florida, who spoke to Fox News.
Read the latest issue of IOL Health digital magazine here.