Amoebas are microorganisms that live in fresh water. Some, like the amoeba of the genus Naegleria, enter the body through the nose and can cause brain damage that is often irreversible.
- The amoeba multiplies very rapidly in the human organism, feeding on brain tissue.
- Of the 145 infections recorded in the United States, only four patients survived.
A microorganism literally devoured the brain of an American after swimming in fresh water. Florida has launched a health alert to warn its nationals of the risk.
The amoeba is a micro-organism that lives in fresh water, in lakes and rivers whose temperatures are rather warm. Some, and in particular the amoeba Naegleria, can, when entering the body through the nose, cause severe brain damage, resulting in death in 97% of cases. Of the 145 infections recorded in the United States, only four patients survived.
Brain swelling
Once implanted, this amoeba multiplies very rapidly in the human body, feeding on brain tissue. This triggers an immune response from the body, which causes the brain to swell, fatally damaging the organ.
Infected patients experience a range of symptoms, including headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, disorientation, seizures and hallucinations. Often misdiagnosed as meningitis, amoeba brain consumption is treated too late in most cases. The microorganism is present in all fresh waters on the planet, but is prevalent mainly in the southern United States, with an annual peak during the summer months, when more people bathe.
Take advantage of the fresh waters while keeping your nose covered
In Florida, the Department of Health specifies: “This disease remains rare and effective prevention strategies can allow for safe and relaxing summer swims”. The idea here is to take advantage of the fresh waters while covering your nose well. It is only when the amoeba passes through this organ that it has access to our brain. In the event of ingestion by mouth, the micro-organism is evacuated naturally, without causing damage.
Scientists are concerned about the proliferation of cases of infection, mainly due to global warming, responsible for the increase in the temperatures of lakes and rivers. “In the first decades that we tracked amoebae, we only documented cases of infection in the Southern United States.explains Jonathan Yoder, epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Over the past ten years, we have identified cases in other northern states, such as Indiana, Minnesota, and Missouri, where we had never seen infection before.”he laments.
.
