Brain eating amoeba, rare but serious

Summer is considered a happy time to hang out with friends and enjoy the sun, but it can also potentially be a time of concern. When water becomes stagnate, and is in the sun for too long, it can become a home for bacteria and parasites. Among this bacteria and parasites is the brain-eating amoeba known as Naegleria fowleri. This brain-eating amoeba has killed 127 people from 1937 to 2014. Less than one percent of people who have been infected with this amoeba have survived. A person cannot be killed just by drinking the contaminated water, the amoeba must make it into the nasal cavity and then make its way up to the brain.

Recently in 2014, more cases of Naegleria fowleri have shown up in the United States. During the summer, St John parish in Louisiana reported cases of the brain eating amoeba in the drinking water. The amoeba was reported to have been caused by poor water sanitation. The parish has called for a chlorine burn in order to rid the water of the amoeba. The testing for the brain-eating amoeba was prompted by the death of nine year old Hally Yust. Hally died from contracting the amoeba while swimming in a lake that had the amoeba in it. Another reported case of  Naegleria fowleri was a man from New Orleans who used tap water to fill a neti pot and clear his sinuses.

While Naegleria fowleri is more common in humid or hot places, it can thrive anywhere. The last reported case in Indiana was two years ago in southern Indiana. The brain-eating amoeba is rare but it is still very serious and people should take precautions while swimming in rivers, lakes, or poorly cleaned water. When in water such as lakes or rivers, make sure your nose is covered and try not to inhale water.

There is no fast way to test a person suspected to have Naegleria fowleri. There are tests to check for the amoeba, but the results could take weeks to come back and by the time the results are back, it could be too late.