Tragic Death of a One-Year-Old: Brain-Eating Amoeba Claims a Young Life
Date: 2023-09-17 Author: Dima Zakharov Categories: WORLD
The Deadly Amoeba
Naegleria fowleri, often referred to as the "brain-eating amoeba," is a microscopic organism that invades the brain, causing tissue destruction, swelling, and, tragically, death. It thrives in soil and warm freshwater bodies such as lakes, rivers, ponds, and hot springs.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), instances of Naegleria fowleri infection in humans are exceedingly rare, with only about three reported cases per year. However, these cases almost always result in fatalities.
The Tragic Case
The coroner of Pulaski County, Jeron Gibbs, revealed that the 16-month-old child succumbed to the infection after spending several days in the hospital. The State Department of Health conducted an investigation and concluded that the victim likely contracted the amoeba at a water recreation area within the rural club in Little Rock.
Health officials from the state disclosed that multiple samples from the water attraction and the pool were sent to the CDC for evaluation, and one of the samples was found to contain viable Naegleria fowleri.
Understanding Naegleria fowleri
According to the CDC, this type of amoeba enters the human body through the nose, most commonly when individuals swim, dive, or submerge their heads in freshwater bodies. Once in the brain, the amoeba destroys tissue, causing what is almost always a fatal infection known as Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM). Importantly, Naegleria fowleri infection cannot be transmitted from one person to another.
Symptoms of PAM typically appear five days after infection but can manifest anywhere from one to twelve days. These symptoms include headaches, fever, nausea or vomiting, confusion, stiffness of the neck muscles, disorientation, seizures, hallucinations, and coma.
The disease progresses rapidly, usually leading to death within approximately five days.
The CDC recommends the best way to prevent infection while swimming in freshwater is to avoid water entering the nose. Additionally, it is advised to steer clear of stirring up sediment at the bottom of freshwater bodies, where amoebas are more likely to be present.
