US Man Dies From Rare Brain-Eating Amoeba, Naegleria Fowleri
NDTV
Naegleria fowleri is an amoeba (single-celled living organism) that lives in soil and warm freshwater, such as lakes, rivers, and hot springs.
A man in US' Georgia has died from a rare brain infection, commonly known as the “brain-eating amoeba”, NBC News reported. According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, he was likely infected while swimming in a freshwater lake or pond. "The amoeba is naturally occurring, and there is no routine environmental test for Naegleria fowleri in bodies of water; and because it is very common in the environment, levels of the amoebas that naturally occur cannot be controlled. The location and number of amoebas in the water can vary over time within the same body of water,'' health officials said.
''A Georgia resident has died from Naegleria fowleri infection, a rare infection which destroys brain tissue, causing brain swelling and usually death. The individual was likely infected while swimming in a freshwater lake or pond in Georgia,'' the health department said in a news release. Prior to this case, there have been five other cases of Naegleria fowleri reported in Georgia since 1962.
Details about the patient including name, age, sex, and race/ethnicity were not provided.
