6 die from brain-eating amoeba in lakes

Associated Press ^ | 9/28/07 | CHRIS KAHN

[Santa Fe_Conservative]

PHOENIX - It sounds like science fiction but it's true: A killer amoeba living in lakes enters the body through the nose and attacks the brain where it feeds until you die.

Even though encounters with the microscopic bug are extraordinarily rare, it's killed six boys and young men this year. The spike in cases has health officials concerned, and they are predicting more cases in the future.

"This is definitely something we need to track," said Michael Beach, a specialist in recreational waterborne illnesses for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"This is a heat-loving amoeba. As water temperatures go up, it does better," Beach said. "In future decades, as temperatures rise, we'd expect to see more cases."

According to the CDC, the amoeba called Naegleria fowleri (nuh-GLEER-ee-uh FOWL'-erh-eye) killed 23 people in the United States, from 1995 to 2004. This year health officials noticed a spike with six cases — three in Florida, two in Texas and one in Arizona. The CDC knows of only several hundred cases worldwide since its discovery in Australia in the 1960s.

In Arizona, David Evans said nobody knew his son, Aaron, was infected with the amoeba until after the 14-year-old died on Sept. 17. At first, the teen seemed to be suffering from nothing more than a headache.

"We didn't know," Evans said. "And here I am: I come home and I'm burying him."

[SpaceBar]

You don’t know the half of it. Illegal aliens use public swimming pools as a combination bath/toilet for their kids. Public pools in southern Arizona have to change their water frequently during the summer months because the organic load gets so high with urine and fecal matter that no amount of chlorine will disinfect it.

[kinoxi]

Did they perturb the matrix again?

[lndrvr1972]

What?

[kinoxi]

I try not to touch them. I deal with them daily....

[VeniVidiVici]

I don’t know whether I’m shocked at the poor reporting or just immune to it by now.

An important part they left out of the story is that the water temp has to be over 90 degrees for this “amoeba” to thrive. Hence the danger only in the South and only in the summer months.

At least that’s what they tell us here in FL.

[Red Steel]

"This is a heat-loving amoeba. As water temperatures go up, it does better," Beach said. "In future decades, as temperatures rise, we'd expect to see more cases."

A new spin for the environwhacks to scare people with about man made global warming nonsense.

[endthematrix]

Naegleria fowleri was discovered in Australia in the 60’s.

[kinoxi]

Weirdness can be fascinating ....

[I still care]

I moved to coastal FL about 10 years ago. One busybody type woman gave me a bunch of advice the first day I was here. She actually did me a world of good. Summarized here:

Rules for Florida living

1. Never just get into ponds or lakes in FL. You have no idea what’s in it. Alligators are just the beginning.

2. If there is lightning, get inside and away from windows immediately. Doesn’t matter how far away it is. (My front window was broken by lightning the first year)

3. Never buy a house without a thorough inspection, and checking for water damage. The flooding in coastal florida is vicious. I would drive by whole streets with water up to the thresholds after a good rain.

4. Don’t hang out at dusk. The mosquitoes will eat you alive.

5. Apply pesticide around the outside of the house at least once a year. DONT leave bags of dog food in the garage, unless you like opening it up and finding giant cockroaches.

6. Wash off lovebug juice before it rots your car paint.

7. Give away your coats and hats. You won’t use them.

8. Watch out for the mosquito truck. :)

[isom35]

here’s a way to combat it:

http://images.wikia.com/memoryalpha/en/images/2/2b/Amoeba_approach_remastered.jpg

[srmorton]

I know of at least one instance when it was found in the US in the 1970's. I attended Forsyth Memorial Hospital School of Medical Technology in Winston-Salem, NC, from June 1977 to June 1978. Sometime during that year, a little girl from Georgia who was visiting relatives suddenly became deathly ill. She came into the ER showing signs of meningitis and a spinal tap was ordered.

A spinal tap is subjected to tests in several departments. In the case of meningitis, the microbiology department is usually the most critical because any of the common bacteria that cause meningitis, as well as the yeast Cryptococcus neoformas, can be detected by Gram stain or other procedures. They can call the report to the doctor so that the proper treatment can be started ASAP.

In this case, the CSF was clear and showed up absolutely nothing on Gram stain. A clear CSF is not unusual in the case of Cryptococcus, but nothing was seen on the India ink prep (which usually detects this encapsulated yeast very well).

In the hematology department, the evening tech did not really expect to find any cells in a clear, colorless CSF, but he put a sample on the hemocytometer as usual. Imagine his surprise when he saw live amoeba moving around underneath the coverslip. He had never seen anything like this before, but he alerted the doctor immediately.

Unfortunately, the little girl died the next day. On autopsy, her brain was shown to be filled with huge areas of necrosis where the amoeba had destroyed the brain tissue. Later, the amoeba was identified as Nigeleria fowleri. The history of the patient included swimming in a freshwater pond a few days prior to her trip to NC. As mentioned in the article, the infection is thought to be acquired by diving or in some other way forcing water into the nasal cavity. Anatomists know that there are little holes in the base of the cranium that allow the olfactory nerves a direct path to the frontal lobe of the brain and that is the route the amoeba take.

The organism is very common in the South in bodies of fresh water. It is thought that the rarity of infection is due to the fact that all strains of the organism do not have the same virulence or tendency to infect humans. I have never forgotten this patient and the excellent work of the MT that led to the proper diagnosis. He could have missed the amoeba or thought that it was just artifact and merely reported the lack of cells. Although she died, he was able to give her the benefit of the fastest possible diagnosis. I have been teaching parasitology for the past 24 years to MLT students at our local community college, and, when I talk about this organism and the other more common amoeba that infect the intestinal tract, I always tell the students this story. The outcome was tragic, but Bruce (I still remember his name) is a wonderful example for them of how a good Medical Technologist or Medical Laboratory Technician can be of immense value to a doctor trying to save a critically ill patient.

[EQAndyBuzz]

Why does this affect only males?

[endthematrix]

“Researchers still have much to learn about Naegleria. For example, it seems that children are more likely to get infected, and boys are infected more often than girls. Experts don’t know why. Boys tend to have more boisterous activities (in water), but we’re not clear.”

[srmorton]

Obviously it doesn’t because this patient was a girl. It may be more common in boys because they are more “daring” and more likely to dive in these sometimes stagnant bodies of water. They may also be more likely to engage in “horseplay” which might result in the organism being forced into the nasal cavity. This amoeba is not thought to be invasive at all. It can only access the brain by being forced into those tiny holes in the base of the skull that lead directly to the brain.

[sauropod]

read

[endthematrix]

ping

[EQAndyBuzz]

“Obviously it doesn’t because this patient was a girl.”

“Even though encounters with the microscopic bug are extraordinarily rare, it’s killed six boys and young men this year. The spike in cases has health officials concerned, and they are predicting more cases in the future.”

I didn’t finish reading the article. After what was written, I thought it might have been a “global warming” phenomenon and Bush was being blamed for killing boys and young men.

[WLR]

Your report is the kind of information that makes reading at FR worthwhile..

Do you know of or do you have reference to treatment information?

I think it will be very difficult to get young people to wear those apparatus that pinch the nose shut.

Are there one or more medicinal Prophylaxis for this to prevent the infection?

How about treatment after the onset of symptoms?

Something we could see to it becomes a staple treatment when adults or kids show flu like symptoms after swimming in our Western or Souther lakes or ponds?

Is is it too late for treatment to be effective by the onset of visible Flu like symptoms?

Thanks very much again for the information.

W

[Puddleglum]

And some of the nasty critters can actually burrow out of the intestines and find some other places to live that it likes even better, like your liver or kidneys.

Ugh. I mean, just ugh. Now I have that to think about.

Great, and I've been having weird gut pains lately. Nothing like a little fuel for the imagination...

[ninonitti]

I really believe the wet backs are bringing in some nasty infections

I've found if I can resist the temptation to lick their wet backs I don't get sick. But that's just me.