September 19, 2019
A 10-year-old American woman died from an infection caused by a rare “brain-eating” amoeba while bathing in a stream in Texas.
Extremely rare cases
The amoeba Naegleria fowleri is found in fresh and warm streams of rivers and ponds in Texas and elsewhere in the United States. Among the millions of people who swim in lakes and rivers each year, cases are particularly rare: only 310 worldwide in fifty years. In 2008, a case of this rare disease was declared in Guadeloupe.
The amoeba is said to be a “brain eater” because it attacks the brain very quickly and causes meningoencephalitis. The little girl, Lily Mae Avant, had complained of headaches and fever after swimming in a river and lake. Doctors and the Texas Department of State Health Services immediately confirmed that she had primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PEMA). This water-borne disease is fatal in 95% of cases.
Contamination through the nose
The amoeba, which thrives in fresh waters above 25 ° C, is mainly detected in summer and autumn. It enters through the nostrils of the bather then crosses the mucous membrane and goes up along the olfactory nerve to reach the brain.
The amoeba then causes damage and inflammation of the brain. The symptoms are headache, malaise, seizures and fever. To avoid amoeba, it is recommended not to dive or jump into untreated hot springs, avoid putting your head under water and use a nose clip if possible.
Stephanie Haerts
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