Naegleria fowleri.Photo:Smith Collection/Gado/Getty
Smith Collection/Gado/Getty
A Georgia resident died from a rare brain-eating amoeba after they likely swam in a freshwater lake or pond, officials said.
No further information was offered about the person’s identity or specifically when and where they were infected,NBC Newsreported. Prior to the incident, there have been five other reported cases in Georgia since 1962.
The infection, usually primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), causes damage to brain tissue, resulting in brain swelling and often death, said the health department.
The infection occurs when water containing Naegleria fowleri travels up the person’s nose, said the department. It cannot spread if swallowed or transmitted from person to person.
The health department added that this type of amoeba is not found in saltwater, such as the ocean, or properly treated pools and drinking water.
Symptoms begin to appear about five days following infection but can also show in one to 12 days, said the department. They “typically start with severe headache, fever, nausea and vomiting and progress to stiff neck, seizures, and coma that can lead to death.”
Naegleria fowleri was cited in the recent death ofWoodrow Turner Bundy, a 2-year-old boy who may have become exposed after a swim in Ash Springs, Nevada.
Naegleria fowleri.Smith Collection/Gado/Getty
The child began experiencing “flu-like symptoms” when his parents decided to take him to the hospital, per friends of the family. At first, doctors assumed it was meningitis and began treatments. But it was later discovered that Woodrow’s symptoms were linked to brain-eating amoeba.
In 2021,David Pruitt,a 7-year-old boy from California, died from primary amoebic meningoencephalitis after he swam in a Northern California lake, according to a GoFundMe created in his honor.
Meanwhile,Florida teen Caleb Ziegelbauer,who was 13 at the time, contracted the typically-fatal infection while swimming at Port Charlotte Beach, Florida. A week later, he experienced a fever, headaches and hallucinations. His family rushed him to the emergency room where doctors confirmed the infection.
During his hospitalization, Caleb had a seizure and required intubation in the ICU, according to his loved ones. He was transferred to a rehabilitation facility in Chicago to further his recovery.
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The governmenthealth agency also reportedthat only four out of 157 people in the U.S. survived primary amebic meningoencephalitis between 1962 and 2022.
source: people.com
