MISSOURI (Washington Insider Magazine) – Health officials reported the death of a Missourian who may have contracted a rare, brain-eating amoeba while swimming in a Iowa lake.
The rare but sometimes fatal virus Naegleria fowleri was confirmed by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services on July 7.
According to health officials, the individual may have been exposed to the amoeba, which is frequently found in warm freshwater bodies like rivers and lakes, while swimming in the Lake of 3 Fires in Taylor County, Iowa.
In reaction to a verified case of Naegleria fowleri infection in a Missouri resident who may have recently been exposed while swimming at the beach, the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services stated on July 8 that the beach was temporarily restricted to swimming as a precaution.
Naegleria fowleri testing was being done, according to the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to health officials, the Missouri patient was receiving treatment in an intensive care unit for primary amebic meningoencephalitis, a potentially deadly brain infection brought on by the amoeba.
According to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, the patient eventually passed away as a result of the infection.
Only four primary amebic meningoencephalitis patients have survived in the United States out of 154 instances that have been documented between 1962 and 2021, according to the CDC.
Since 1987, Missouri had not experienced a primary amebic meningoencephalitis infection. According to the health authorities, there are no other suspected instances being looked at in the state.
According to ABC NEWS, people can contract Naegleria fowleri when water carrying the amoeba enters the body through the nose. Once there, it has the potential to damage the brain tissue.
Seizures, a stiff neck, fever, vomiting, and nausea are among the signs of primary amebic meningoencephalitis.
Limiting the quantity of water that goes up one’s nose while in warm freshwater bodies and staying out of warm freshwater during times of high water temperature are two ways people can try to lower their risk of contracting Naegleria fowleri.
31 incidents were recorded in the United States between 2012 and 2021, with recreational water being the primary source of infection, according to the CDC.
In a recent high-profile instance, a 3-year-old kid contracted Naegleria fowleri at a Texas splash pad and died in September 2021 from primary amebic meningoencephalitis. Later, it was discovered by city officials that numerous parks had missed opportunities to test the quality of their water.
Naegleria fowleri infections are most common in the summer and in southern areas, however they can also happen in more northern states, according to the CDC.
Because waterborne infections like Naegleria fowleri may grow and reproduce more quickly in increasingly hotter waters, experts have warned that climate change may increase the life-threatening threats for swimmers.