Another case of brain-eating amoeba was confirmed recently in Florida.
What is it?
A tiny critter known as a protist, more specifically, a carnivorous amoeba that looks like a cartoon blob. Protists, including amoebas, are not usually harmful, but some of them cause human diseases and infections. Malaria, for example, is caused by a protist, and some amoebas have been known to cause dysentery and other ailments.
Naegleria fowleri, or brain eating amoeba, lives in freshwater all over the world and can be found in freshwater lakes and ponds in the United States—especially in the southeast. These little guys are single-celled creatures that cannot be seen by the naked eye, so there’s no way to predict if they are inhabiting the water that you might want to swim in.
Why is it dangerous?
Despite being very rare, with only 150 cases reported in the United States in the last 50 years, it is still something to be cautious about when swimming in freshwater lakes and ponds. N. fowleri can be stirred up from the bottom of the body of water, and once it’s in the water it can be inhaled by the swimmer.
The amoeba can enter the human body through the nose and travel through nerves until it gets into the nice, warm brain. And like a zombie it munches on all the neurons (brain cells) as if your brain was the yummiest brain buffet.
The destruction of the brain cells causes symptoms like headache, nausea, vomiting, change in taste or smell, and later on, confusion, seizures, stiff neck and loss of balance. As if that was not enough, the body’s immune system gets involved and tries to eliminate the infection. Immune response causes the brain to swell, and a swelling brain is not good news. The skull gives no leeway for a swelling brain, and the infected person will usually die within a week of the infection without seeking medical treatment as soon as possible.
There are no tests to identify the condition, and it is often confused with a viral or bacterial infection of the brain. Also, there aren’t any medications that definitively work to quell the infection, so once the person realizes that something is wrong and seeks treatment it is usually too late.
Sinus Snafu
Freshwater lakes and ponds are not the only source of N. fowleri. It is a tough little creature and sometimes does not die when water is treated. Therefore, it can be found in tap water. It is very rare, but there have been cases of people being infected with N. fowleri using the popular sinus treatment wash with a neti pot. There is also a slight chance that N. fowleri can be found in swimming pools that have not been properly chlorinated; but again, this is a rare phenomenon.
How can it be prevented?
People can think twice about swimming in random ponds and lakes, especially where the water is bright green or otherwise looks “skanky”. If you do decide to take a dip, try not to disturb the bottom of the pond or lake, this will limit the number of amoebas that are stirred up into the water. Also, swimmers can clip their nose closed while swimming to try and avoid inhaling water. When using a neti pot, make sure to boil tap water for 3-5 minutes and let it cool before using it. Also, the neti pot should be thoroughly cleaned after each use.
The Good News
The odds of being infected by a brain eating amoeba are about 1/70,000,000, while the odds of being struck by lightning in your lifetime are about 1/15,000. So, yes, it is very rare to be infected by a brain eating amoeba. With a few precautions, you can almost eliminate the chance of falling victim to these tiny carnivores.
Neti Pot Link: https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-use-a-neti-pot
