Latest news with #Naegleriafowleri
Economic Times
4 hours ago
- Health
- Economic Times
Deadly brain-eating amoeba kills Texas woman: how to be safe?
What is Naegleria fowleri? Naegleria fowleri is a free-living, single-celled amoeba found in warm freshwater environments worldwide, such as lakes, rivers, hot springs, and poorly maintained pools. It is commonly called the 'brain-eating amoeba' because it can cause a fatal brain infection. How do people get infected? Infection occurs when water containing the amoeba enters the nose, usually during swimming, diving, or nasal irrigation with contaminated water. Drinking contaminated water does not cause infection. What are the symptoms? Early symptoms include headache, fever, nausea, and vomiting. As the disease progresses, symptoms may include stiff neck, confusion, seizures, hallucinations, and coma. Death usually occurs within 5 days of symptom onset. How common are infections? Infections are extremely rare, with fewer than 10 cases reported annually in the U.S. over the past five decades Can the infection be treated? Treatment options are limited and often unsuccessful. Some experimental therapies, such as miltefosine, have shown promise if administered early, but survival remains rare. How can infection be prevented? Use only distilled, sterile, or previously boiled and cooled tap water for nasal irrigation. Avoid submerging your head in warm freshwater, especially during the summer months. The Science Behind Naegleria fowleri Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel A 71-year-old Texas woman died after contracting a rare but deadly infection caused by the brain-eating amoeba Naegleria fowleri . According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the woman used untreated tap water from her RV's supply for nasal irrigation, a practice that allowed the amoeba to enter her body through her days, she developed severe neurological symptoms, including headache, fever, confusion, and seizures. Despite rapid medical intervention, she succumbed to the infection just eight days after symptoms began. The CDC stresses that such infections are extremely rare but almost always fatal, with only four survivors among 164 reported U.S. cases from 1962 to fowleri is a thermophilic (heat-loving) amoeba that thrives in warm freshwater environments, particularly during summer months. It exists in three life stages: cyst (dormant and resistant), flagellate (transient and mobile), and trophozoite (active and feeding).The trophozoite stage is the infectious form, capable of invading the nasal passages and migrating to the brain via the olfactory nerve, where it causes primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM).The amoeba is classified as a free-living organism, meaning it does not require a host to survive. Instead, it feeds on bacteria and organic matter in the environment. While most exposures do not result in infection, when the amoeba enters the nose, it can rapidly cause severe brain inflammation and tissue destruction, leading to death in nearly all fowleri's ability to adapt to various environments and its near-universal presence in warm freshwater underscores the importance of safe water practices, especially for activities that involve nasal exposure.
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Health
- Time of India
Deadly brain-eating amoeba kills Texas woman: how to be safe?
A 71-year-old Texas woman died after contracting a rare but deadly infection caused by the brain-eating amoeba , Naegleria fowleri . According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the woman used untreated tap water from her RV's supply for nasal irrigation, a practice that allowed the amoeba to enter her body through her nose. Within days, she developed severe neurological symptoms, including headache, fever, confusion, and seizures. Despite rapid medical intervention, she succumbed to the infection just eight days after symptoms began. The CDC stresses that such infections are extremely rare but almost always fatal, with only four survivors among 164 reported U.S. cases from 1962 to 2023. What is Naegleria fowleri? Naegleria fowleri is a free-living, single-celled amoeba found in warm freshwater environments worldwide, such as lakes, rivers, hot springs, and poorly maintained pools. It is commonly called the 'brain-eating amoeba' because it can cause a fatal brain infection. How do people get infected? Infection occurs when water containing the amoeba enters the nose, usually during swimming, diving, or nasal irrigation with contaminated water. Drinking contaminated water does not cause infection. What are the symptoms? Early symptoms include headache, fever, nausea, and vomiting. As the disease progresses, symptoms may include stiff neck, confusion, seizures, hallucinations, and coma. Death usually occurs within 5 days of symptom onset. How common are infections? Infections are extremely rare, with fewer than 10 cases reported annually in the U.S. over the past five decades Can the infection be treated? Treatment options are limited and often unsuccessful. Some experimental therapies, such as miltefosine, have shown promise if administered early, but survival remains rare. How can infection be prevented? Use only distilled, sterile, or previously boiled and cooled tap water for nasal irrigation. Avoid submerging your head in warm freshwater, especially during the summer months. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Air conditioners without external unit. (click to see prices) Air Condition | Search Ads Search Now Undo The Science Behind Naegleria fowleri Naegleria fowleri is a thermophilic (heat-loving) amoeba that thrives in warm freshwater environments, particularly during summer months. It exists in three life stages: cyst (dormant and resistant), flagellate (transient and mobile), and trophozoite (active and feeding).The trophozoite stage is the infectious form, capable of invading the nasal passages and migrating to the brain via the olfactory nerve, where it causes primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). The amoeba is classified as a free-living organism, meaning it does not require a host to survive. Instead, it feeds on bacteria and organic matter in the environment. While most exposures do not result in infection, when the amoeba enters the nose, it can rapidly cause severe brain inflammation and tissue destruction, leading to death in nearly all cases. Live Events Naegleria fowleri 's ability to adapt to various environments and its near-universal presence in warm freshwater underscores the importance of safe water practices, especially for activities that involve nasal exposure.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Texas woman died from brain-eating amoeba after flushing sinuses with tap water: CDC
A Texas woman died from a rare brain infection after she flushed her sinuses with tap water, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. It's unclear when the woman died, but the report was in the most recent weekly mortality report from the agency. The woman, an otherwise healthy 71-year-old, used a nasal irrigation device she had filled with tap water from her RV's water system at a campsite and flushed her sinuses. Within days, she developed 'severe neurologic symptoms' including fever, headache and an altered mental status. She received treatment for the infection — primary amebic meningoencephalitis — which is caused by Naegleria fowleri, often called the 'brain-eating amoeba,' the CDC said. But even after treatment, she started experiencing seizures and died less than two weeks after exposure. A CDC laboratory conducted tests and found the amoeba in the woman's cerebrospinal fluid. The one-celled amoeba lives in freshwater lakes, rivers and hot springs. 'If water containing the ameba goes up the nose and to the brain, it can cause [the] infection,' the CDC said. While most infections occur during recreational freshwater activities, people trying to clean their sinuses are advised to use distilled, sterilized or boiled — and then cooled — water to avoid infection or illness. Investigators found the water tank was filled before the woman bought the RV, but it was also hooked up to the municipal water supply at the campsite. The CDC said the death rate of infection is roughly 100%, but fewer than 10 people typically contract it every year. There were 164 cases reported in the US between 1962 and 2023, but only four people survived.
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Health
- Time of India
Woman dies of brain eating amoeba after rinsing sinuses using tap water
A rare case of brain eating amoeba killing a woman has grabbed attention. As per the latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) of the US CDC, a woman died due to fatal brain infection caused by the free-living ameba, Naegleria fowleri which she got from nasal irrigation device filled with tap water. "A previously healthy woman aged 71 years developed severe neurologic symptoms, including fever, headache, and altered mental status within 4 days of using a nasal irrigation device filled with tap water from an RV's water system at a campground in Texas. Despite medical treatment for a suspected PAM infection, the patient developed seizures and subsequently died 8 days after symptom onset. Laboratory testing at CDC confirmed the presence of N. fowleri in the patient's cerebrospinal fluid," the US CDC says. "Primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) is a rare, often fatal brain infection caused by the free-living ameba Naegleria fowleri. Using tap water for nasal irrigation is a risk factor for PAM," it warns. What is Naegleria fowleri? Naegleria fowleri, also known as the "brain-eating amoeba," is a super rare but extremely dangerous microorganism that lives in warm freshwater—like lakes, rivers, hot springs, and even poorly maintained swimming pools. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like They Lost Their Money - Learn From Their Lesson Expertinspector Click Here Undo Despite how scary it sounds (and yes, it is scary), infections from it are extremely uncommon. So what exactly is this thing? Naegleria fowleri is a tiny, single-celled organism that you can't see without a microscope. It thrives in warm temperatures, especially in water that's over 30°C (about 86°F). You don't get sick from drinking water that has it. The real danger happens when the water goes up your nose—usually while swimming, diving, or jumping into warm freshwater. Once it gets up your nose, the amoeba can travel to your brain through the olfactory nerve (the nerve that helps you smell). Once it reaches the brain, it causes a rare but deadly infection called Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM). And unfortunately, it progresses very quickly—people usually start feeling symptoms within 1 to 12 days, and the disease often leads to death within about 5 days after symptoms start. The early symptoms of PAM can feel like a bad case of meningitis or the flu: headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, and a stiff neck. Then it gets worse—confusion, seizures, hallucinations, and eventually coma. Because it progresses so fast and looks like other infections at first, it's very hard to diagnose in time. To stay safe, avoid getting water up your nose when swimming in warm freshwater—wear nose clips, don't stir up sediment, and avoid jumping or diving into shallow, warm water. And definitely don't use tap water to rinse your nose or sinuses unless it's been properly sterilized or filtered. Naegleria fowleri may sound like something out of a horror movie. Just be smart around warm freshwater, and you'll likely never come close to encountering it. One step to a healthier you—join Times Health+ Yoga and feel the change
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Texas woman dies from brain-eating amoeba after cleaning sinuses with tap water
A Texas woman died from an infection caused by a brain-eating amoeba days after cleaning her sinuses using tap water, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention case report. The woman, an otherwise healthy 71-year-old, developed "severe neurologic symptoms" including fever, headache and an altered mental status four days after she filled a nasal irrigation device with tap water from her RV's water system at a Texas campsite, the CDC report said. She was treated for primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) — a brain infection caused by Naegleria fowleri, often referred to as the "brain-eating amoeba,"the CDC said. Despite treatment, the woman experienced seizures and died from the infection eight days after she developed symptoms, the agency said. Lab tests confirmed the amoeba in the woman's cerebrospinal fluid, according to the report. The CDC said the infection usually occurs after "recreational water activities" but noted that cleaning sinuses with non-distilled water is also a risk factor for developing PAM. An investigation conducted by the agency found that the woman had not recently been exposed to fresh water but had done the nasal irrigation using non-boiled water from the RV's potable water faucet "on several occasions" before her illness. The potable water tank, the investigation found, was filled before the woman bought the RV three months ago and could have contained contaminated water. The investigation also concluded that the municipal water system, which was connected to the potable water system and bypassed the tank, could have caused the contamination. The agency stressed the importance of using distilled, sterilized or boiled and cooled tap water when performing nasal irrigation to reduce the risk of infection and illness. This article was originally published on
