Washington: A man who was attacked by a rare amoeba while swimming is in critical condition. The incident happened while walking on the lake in Lake of Three Fires State Park in Iowa, USA. It was last Friday A Missouri man was admitted to the hospital with amoebic meningitis.
Naegleria fowleri, an amoeba capable of eating human scalp, is behind this deadly disease. He is currently in the intensive care unit. After noticing the incident, the authorities banned swimming in the lake here.
Naegleria fowleri is the most dangerous of the single-celled amoebae. Despite its small size, Naegleria fowleri has the ability to eat human brains. A person suffering from amoebic meningitis caused by these attacks has only a two percent chance of coming back to life.
Studies have shown that most people exposed to Naegleria fowleri die. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 1962 and 2021, only 4 of the 154 people who contracted the disease in the U.S. recovered.
The presence of these amoebae found in rivers, lakes, ponds and hot water streams has not been detected in salt water. Naegleria fowleri is also found in industrial wastewater and non-chlorinated swimming pools. Their habitat is stagnant and untreated water bodies. Naegleria fowleri can withstand temperatures up to 40 degrees.
When swimming in water bodies, they pass through the human nose and reach the brain. It then destroys the brain and nervous system. It also causes rapid death. They are not found in swimming pools that are regularly chlorinated and the water is changed frequently.
The main symptoms of amoebic meningitis are headache, fever, taste difference and vomiting. Death may occur within seven to fourteen days of symptoms.