Latest news with #AnnaKathrynBurch
USA Today
7 days ago
- Health
- USA Today
Person dies from brain-eating amoeba in South Carolina, officials say
A person has died after being infected with a brain-eating amoeba in South Carolina, officials announced. A patient at Prisma Health Children's Hospital Midlands in South Carolina died after being infected with Naegleria fowleri, a brain-eating amoeba, Dr. Anna Kathryn Burch, a pediatric infectious disease specialist, said during a press conference on July 22. The South Carolina Department of Public Health confirmed in a statement to USA TODAY that a person died after being exposed to the amoeba earlier in July. Officials believe the exposure likely happened at Lake Murray, which is about 15 miles northeast of Columbia. "We cannot be completely certain as this organism occurs naturally and is present in many warm water lakes, rivers and streams," the South Carolina department of Public Health said. Naegleria fowleri is a type of amoeba that can cause a rare, but nearly always fatal brain infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What is Naegleria fowleri? Why is it known as a brain-eating amoeba? Naegleria fowleri is a type of amoeba that thrives in warm freshwater lakes, rivers and hot springs. In some cases, it can be found in poorly maintained swimming pools, splash pads and tap water, according to the CDC. The amoeba is often referred to as brain-eating because it can cause an infection called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) that destroys brain tissue. Dr. Burch said most people who have been in lakes, rivers, and other bodies of waters have been exposed to the amoeba. However, contact alone with the bacteria is not harmful. "Where it can cause an issue is if forceful water gets up the nose and is able to cross from the nose into the brain," Dr. Burch said, adding that a PAM infection causes the brain to swell. Brain infections caused by Naegleria fowleri are very rare, though when they do happen, they are almost always fatal, according to the CDC. Typically, fewer than 10 people a year in the U.S. get PAM, and nearly everyone who gets it dies from it, the agency said. Brain-eating amoeba death: Woman dies from Naegleria fowleri after using tap water to clear sinuses, CDC says How to protect against brain-eating amoeba The CDC recommends the following measures to protect against brain-eating amoeba: Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at
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The Independent
7 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Child dies from brain-eating amoeba in South Carolina
A pediatric patient in a South Carolina hospital has died from a rare brain-eating amoeba. The Prisma Health Children's Hospital patient recently died after contracting Naegleria fowleri, which infects the brain and destroys tissue, Pediatric Infectious Disease Physician Anna Kathryn Burch said Tuesday. The hospital declined to share more details about the patient, and officials have not said where the infection occurred. State authorities say there is no broader risk to the public. A case of Naegleria fowleri was confirmed in South Carolina during the week of July 7, according to the state's Department of Public Health. There have been only 167 reported cases of the infection in the US between 1962 and 2024, the CDC reports. However, just four people have survived the infection. The CDC does not track infections from the amoeba, nor does it provide information about or comment on individual cases, DPS told WIS in a statement. Naegleria fowleri naturally lives in warm freshwater environments such as lakes, rivers, hot springs, and poorly maintained or unchlorinated pools. It thrives in temperatures between 80 and 115 degrees Fahrenheit and is more prevalent in the warmer months, especially in southern states. People become infected when contaminated water enters the body through the nose, typically while swimming or diving in warm freshwater. Once in the nose, the amoeba travels to the brain, where it causes a severe and often fatal brain infection called primary amebic meningoencephalitis. Naegleria fowleri cannot infect a person if the water is swallowed, and it does not spread from person to person. This isn't the first death involving Naegleria fowleri this year. In May, a previously-healthy 71-year-old woman from Texas died from an infection caused by the amoeba after using tap water from her RV in a nasal irrigation device. Infection is extremely rare otherwise - but it is almost always fatal. Symptoms usually begin within one to 12 days of exposure and may include headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, stiff neck, seizures, and altered mental state. To reduce risk, experts advise avoiding freshwater activities during high temperatures, using nose clips, and avoiding putting your head underwater in warm freshwater.
CBS News
7 days ago
- Health
- CBS News
Patient dies of brain-eating amoeba in South Carolina, hospital confirms
A patient in a South Carolina children's hospital has died of a brain-eating amoeba, according to the facility. In a news briefing Tuesday, Prisma Health Children's Hospital-Midlands confirmed the patient died of primary amebic meningoencephalitis, also known as PAM, a rare but often fatal brain infection caused by the Naegleria fowleri organism. The hospital did not share any more details about the patient or where they became infected, but added this is the only case reported in the state this year. In the briefing, Dr. Anna-Kathryn Burch, a pediatric infectious disease physician at the hospital, said these infections are "very devastating," with the vast majority of cases in the United States ending in death. "Greater than 97% of cases that have occurred since the '60s have been fatal," she said. Burch explained the infections occur when forceful water gets up the nose and is able to cross into the brain. This can happen during recreational water activities in warm freshwater lakes, rivers and hot springs, where the amoeba thrives. To reduce your risk, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests holding your nose or wearing a nose clip if you are jumping or diving into freshwater or keeping your head above water in hot springs. You cannot get a Naegleria fowleri infection from swallowing contaminated water or from someone else who is infected. This isn't the first death caused by Naegleria fowleri in the U.S. this year. A Texas woman died from an infection caused by the brain-eating amoeba after using tap water from her RV in a nasal irrigation device, health officials reported in May. The previously healthy 71-year-old developed severe symptoms, including fever, headache and altered mental status, within four days after the nasal irrigation rinse, the CDC case report said. Despite medical treatment for a suspected PAM infection, she developed seizures and died eight days after the symptoms began.
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Worst the U.S. has seen in 15 years, officials warn of record flu season
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Health officials are warning people across the country of a record-breaking flu season, impacting thousands just in South Carolina. Over 5400 people were hospitalized in South Carolina, and more than 100 people have died due to flu complications since the start of flu season, according to the State Department of Public Health Nationwide, public health officials are calling this flu season the worst the U.S. has seen in 15 years. The CDC says more than 24 million Americans have been infected and this has resulted in 310,000 hospitalizations and more than 13,000 deaths. Doctors are urging people to make sure to be up to date on seasonal vaccinations. Officials from Prisma Health emphasized the importance of getting flu shots, stating, 'Flu shots can be very helpful. They are still available, so if you or your child have not received one yet, please make sure to get vaccinated.' However, Dr. Anna Kathryn Burch with Prisma Health added that flu shots do not stop you from contracting the illness. 'It might not 100 percent protect you from getting the flu but what it can do for you is keep you out of the hospital and keep you from dying,' said Dr. Burch. Doctors also say washing your hands, covering your mouth when you sneeze, and staying home when you are sick can help prevent the spread. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
