In the USA, the amoeba Naegleria fowleri killed a one-year-old child.
In Arkansas, USA, On September 4, a one-year-old boy died from a rare Naegleria fowleri infection. The child probably became infected on a water ride at a country club.
CNN writes about this.
Naegleria fowler is an amoeba that eats the brain, destroying its tissue, causing swelling and usually death. It lives in soil and warm freshwater lakes, rivers, ponds and hot springs.
In rare cases, people have become infected with Naegleria fowleri from recreational water that does not have enough chlorine, such as in swimming pools or surf parks, according to the CDC.
According to the CDC, Naegleria fowleri infection is rare in the United States, affecting only about three people a year, but such cases are usually fatal.
The 16-month-old boy died after spending several days in the hospital, Pulaski County Coroner Jaron Hobbs said. The State Department of Health investigated and determined that the victim was believed to have contracted the infection at the Little Rock Country Club splash pad.
The state Department of Health said several samples from the water attraction and pool were sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for evaluation. Thus, one sample contained viable Naegleria fowleri.
What is known about Naegleria fowleri
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this type of amoeba enters the body through the nose, most often when people swim, dive, or immerse their heads in freshwater bodies.
Once the amoeba enters the brain, it destroys brain tissue and causes an almost always fatal infection called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). Naegleria fowleri infection is not transmitted from person to person.
Symptoms of PAM usually appear five days after infection, but can begin from one to 12 days.
Symptoms include headache, fever , nausea or vomiting. There may also be confusion, a stiff neck, inattention to the environment and people, seizures, hallucinations, and coma.
The disease progresses rapidly, usually causing death within about five days.
The CDC says the best way to prevent infection when swimming in fresh water is to keep water out of your nose. It is also suggested to avoid stirring up sediment at the bottom of a fresh body of water, where amoebas are more likely to live.
Recall that atwo-year-old boy swallowed 8 needles (photo).
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