Patient infected with rare brain-eating amoeba in Florida, health officials say

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Florida. – A patient in Hillsborough County has been infected with a rare and usually deadly brain-eating amoeba known as Naegleria fowleri, according to the Florida Department of Health.

Amoeba is commonly found in fresh water and infects someone when contaminated water enters that person’s nose.

From there, it travels to the brain and causes primary amebic meningoencephalitis, which causes destruction of the patient’s brain tissue. The disease is usually fatal.

Infections are rare with only 37 cases in Florida since 1962. Those infections are likely to occur in July, August, and September when the water in lakes, rivers, ponds, and canals is warmer.

Naegleria fowleri is found in many warm freshwater lakes, ponds, and rivers in the United States, but it is more common in the southern states. The low number of infections makes it difficult to know why some people have become infected compared to the millions of others who used the same or similar waters in the United States, “an FDOH press release read.

Health officials urged swimmers to take the following precautions in case the amoeba is present:

• Avoid water-related activities in warm freshwater bodies, hot springs, and thermally contaminated water, such as the water around power plants.
• Avoid water-related activities in warm temperate water during periods of high water temperature and low water levels.
• Keep your nose closed or use nose clips when participating in water-related activities in temperate freshwater bodies such as lakes, rivers, or hot springs.
• Avoid digging or removing sediment while participating in water-related activities in shallow, warm areas of fresh water.
• Note that exposure to the amoeba can also occur when using neti pots to rinse your sinuses from cold / allergy related congestion or performing religious rituals with tap water. Use only boiled and chilled, distilled, or sterile water to make sinus rinse solutions for pots or perform ritual ablutions.

They also suggested contacting a doctor immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms after swimming:

• Headache
• Fever
• Nausea
• Disorientation
• Vomiting
• Stiff neck
• Seizures
• Loss of balance
• Hallucinations

The disease is progressive, so early intervention is key.

Health officials did not provide any information about the patient, where they were infected, or their prognosis.

To read more about the amoeba, click here.