Naegleria Fowleri: The Brain – Eating Amoeba
- Medicine Community & Research
- Aug 28, 2024
- 2 min read
By Rithvikhaa Sathish
By Milad Fakurian from Unsplash
Many cases about the brain – eating amoeba, Naegleria Fowleri, has been reported in Kerala, India. While the amoeba is very rare, it is also extremely deadly. Out of the 381 cases reported in 2018, only seven individuals survived. So, what exactly is this amoeba and how can we stay safe?
What is the Brain – Eating Amoeba?
Free – living amoebas are tiny single celled organisms that live in warm fresh water and soil. There are four types of these amoebas that are known to cause human infections: Acanthamoeba, Balamuthia Mandrillaris, Sappinia Diploidea, and Naegleria Fowleri. N. Fowleri is known to travel the human body through nasal passages. Specifically, it travels through the cribriform plate – a part of the skull that transmits olfactory nerves – to enter the brain. From there, it starts to destroy tissue and causes brain swelling, a condition known as primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM).
Initial symptoms of PAM include headache, fever, nausea, and vomiting. As the infection progresses, patients often feel a stiff neck, seizures, hallucinations, and eventually coma. While there is no definite treatment for PAM, doctors have been administering a combination of drugs – none of which seem consistently effective.
What is the source for N. Fowleri?
Patients usually have reported swimming, diving, or bathing in warm fresh water in the previous nine days before symptoms start to show. In some cases, the source has even been tracked back to nasal cleaning in neti pots with contaminated water.
Historically, N. Fowleri cases have been limited to hot, humid areas only. However, scientists are observing an increase of infections in cooler areas as well. Because of an overall increase in PAM cases in the past due decades, scientists and researchers wonder whether it is due to public unawareness.
On the other hand, some scientists are concerned that amoebic infections could become more common as climate change occurs. N. Fowleri thrives in warm waters and can tolerate up to 46 degrees Celsius, making it easier to spread as the climate grows warmer. Extreme weather conditions such as droughts and floods might further help the spread, moving the amoeba to new locations.
How can we stay safe?Amoebic meningoencephalitis is extremely rare, and it is very unlikely that one would catch it. However, there are measures people can take to further reduce their risk of infection. The CDC recommends holding your nose if you are jumping into fresh water or always making sure your head is above the water. In addition, people can also use boiled or distilled tap water to clean their sinuses.
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