In a tragic incident, an Ohio teenager lost her life after being exposed to a brain-eating amoeba during a trip to a water park in North Carolina. Lauren Seitz, 18, visited the U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte with her church’s youth group on June 8. She passed away on June 19 from primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a rare brain disease caused by the amoeba Naegleria fowleri.
PAM occurs when Naegleria fowleri enters the body through the nose and reaches the brain, leading to an infection of the brain’s lining and inflammation of the cerebral cortex. Symptoms, which appear one to nine days after infection, include severe headaches, fever, and a stiff neck, and the disease is often fatal.
Recently, a child from Douglas County also died from a rare illness caused by Naegleria fowleri, contracted while swimming in the Elkhorn River. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the presence of this amoeba, which causes primary amoebic meningoencephalitis.
Naegleria fowleri is a free-living amoeba found in warm freshwater and soil. It can cause a rare but deadly condition when it enters the body through the nose, leading to inflammation of the brain and its lining. Although there have been fewer than 200 cases in the U.S. since the 1960s, the death rate is over 97% due to the amoeba’s resistance to current treatments.
Understandably, people are concerned about the safety of freshwater sources like streams, lakes, and rivers. Here are some key points to consider for your safety:
1. The amoeba is present in many freshwater sources and soil samples, but this doesn’t mean you should be overly worried.
2. This infection is rare compared to other water-related risks, with fewer than 30 cases reported in the last decade.
3. As freshwater temperatures rise in late summer, bacteria and algae growth increases, which amoebas feed on.
4. The amoeba infects people when water enters the nose, usually during activities like swimming or diving.
To reduce the risk of infection, avoid letting freshwater enter your nose. Use nose clips or plugs, avoid jumping into water, and steer clear of disturbing the lake or riverbed. High-speed water sports like tubing or water skiing should also be avoided.
The illness cannot be spread from person to person or contracted by drinking contaminated water. Symptoms can last from one to twelve days, typically appearing after five days. If symptoms persist after exposure, seek medical attention.
This infection is extremely serious, with a 97% fatality rate. Diagnosis requires testing for the amoeba in brain tissue or spinal fluid. A few survivors have been recorded with early intervention, and a drug called Miltefosine may be effective when used with other medications. Nebraska Medicine has access to this treatment.
