Everything you need to know about the fatal Brain-Eating Amoeba
Health Officials are raising concerns around freshwater bodies, after a rare but fatal infection called “ brain-eating amoeba” has surfaced in the news. This infection is caused by an amoeba called Naegleria fowleri.
The brain-eating amoeba has infected more than 70 people in Kerala, and almost 19 people have died in the last 24 hours. When people are talking about the fatal infection, it immediately triggers fear, curiosity, and the phrase “ brain-eating amoeba” feels like it is straight from a horror movie.
In this article, we will discuss what a brain-eating amoeba is, how it infects humans, and the severity of its effects.
What is a brain-eating amoeba?
It is a microscopic organism that thrives in freshwater bodies like lakes, rivers, and hot springs. Despite its horrific name, it actually won’t eat your brain, but damages the brain tissues by entering through your nose. This infection is called “primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM)” and it leads to severe neurological symptoms and is often fatal.
This amoeba will spread only when your nasal passage comes into direct contact with contaminated water during swimming or diving, and is not spread through person-to-person contact.
Symptoms and Severity
The infection will begin within 1-9 days of exposure, with symptoms similar to the flu, like headache, fever, nausea, and a stiff neck. By the time a doctor could diagnose a person with a brain-eating amoeba, it had actually progressed to a serious condition where it would cause confusion, brain seizures, and coma. Unfortunately, the disease progresses so quickly that an infected person dies in a week or within 12 days after being diagnosed with the first symptoms.
According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), in the United States, fewer than 10 cases occur each year. Yet, the fatality rate exceeds 95 %, which makes it one of the deadliest known infections.
The main reason why the infection caused by this amoeba is fatal and terrifying is because of the speed at which it causes damage to the brain, but experts suggest that, as deadly as it sounds, it is rare. There is a need for awareness and vigilance, but panic is not needed.
How can you prevent it?
The treatment is rarely effective, and the outcomes are poor, so the best possible way to avoid this infection is prevention. The Health officials recommended:
- Avoid swimming in warm, fresh water bodies in the summer heat
- Keep your head above the water surface while entering lakes or rivers
- Use distilled, sterile, or boiled water for sinus rinsing or neti pots
- Chlorinate the swimming pools and hot tubs.
The infection caused by Naegleria fowleri is one of the most frightening conditions due to its devastating consequences. While its infections are extremely low, and no need to panic, but the universal fatal rate demands attention.
The ongoing medical research in the future will probably be able to treat this non-curable infection. But for now, following preventive measures will significantly reduce the exposure to this microorganism.
