The ‘Brain-eating’ amoeba case in Florida

By Esha Ratnasingham 9G

Health officials in Charlotte County, Florida reported a recent case of a single-celled organism causing a rare "brain-eating infection " The organism, known as Naegleria fowleri, may have been contracted after rinsing sinuses with tap water As per the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), the amoeba generally living in warm fresh water can rarely cause Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM) People cannot get it by swallowing N. fowleri or contact with someone infected It enters through the nose and travels to the brain via the smell nerve

Symptoms usually emerge 1-12 days later, almost always resulting in death; 1 -18 days post symptoms appearing

The earliest symptoms of infection include stiff neck, seizures, altered mental status, hallucinations and coma, the CDA states It is a freshwater ameba that can be found all over the world. This ameba is typically found in warm freshwater bodies like lakes, rivers, and hot springs, as well as in soil, under chlorinated human-made aquatic venues, warm water discharge from industrial plants, and warm water. It has also occasionally been discovered in contaminated hot water heaters and tap water The only species of Naegleria that has been found to infect humans is Naegleria fowleri. Despite the fact that Naegleria fowleri is prevalent in the environment, infection is uncommon However, due to its high mortality rate, this disease poses a threat to public health., "Tap water isn't safe for use as a nasal rinse because it's not adequately filtered or treated," the Food and Drug Administration warns of the use of neti pots and other sinus rinses Before using tap water for such purposes, it should be boiled and cooled, or it should be filtered to remove infectious organisms

References: livescience com/brain-eating-amoeba-case-in-florida-pote ntially-tied-to-unfiltered-water-in-sinus-rinse floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/primary-amebi c-meningoencephalitis/index html