Also found in TX & FL. Naegleria fowleri, which causes the disease primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, they use the brain as a food source. Naegleria cant live in salt water. It cant survive in properly treated swimming pools or in properly treated municipal water. *Naegleria fowleri amoebas are attracted to the chemicals that nerve cells use to communicate with one another. Once in the nose, the amoebas travel through the olfactory nerve (the nerve connected with sense of smell) into the frontal lobe of the brain. *Where Are These Brain-Eating Amoebas Found? Naegleria loves very warm water. It can survive in water as hot as 113 degrees Fahrenheit. These amoebas can be found in warm places around the globe. Naegleria fowleri is found in: 1- Warm lakes, ponds, and rock pits 2- Mud puddles 3- Warm, slow-flowing rivers, especially those with low water levels 4- Untreated swimming pools and spas 5- Untreated well water or untreated municipal water 6- Hot springs and other geothermal water sources 7- Thermally polluted water, such as runoff from power plants 8- Aquariums 9- Soil, including indoor dust *Primary cause: When people submerge their heads or cleanse their noses during religious practices, and when people irrigate their sinuses (nose) using contaminated tap water. Usually found in Texas and Florida, but this strain was found in Louisiana. *Symptoms: Initial symptoms of Naegleria fowleri start about 5 days (range 1 to 7 days) after infection. The initial symptoms may include headache, fever, nausea, or vomiting. Later symptoms can include stiff neck, confusion, lack of attention to people and surroundings, loss of balance, seizures, and hallucinations. After the start of symptoms, the disease progresses rapidly and usually causes death within about 5 days (range 1 to 12 days). *Cure: Miltefosine and Therapeutic hypothermia. Center for Disease Control (CDC) now has a supply of miltefosine for treatment of Naegleria fowleri infection. If you are a clinician and have a patient with suspected Naegleria or other free-living amoeba infection, please contact the CDC Emergency Operations Center at 770-488-7100 to consult with a CDC expert regarding the use of this drug and treatment, for best results recommended treatment within 36 hours after infected, or it could be fatal.
Posted on: Sun, 31 Aug 2014 12:36:08 +0000
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