According to The Korea Times, South Korea on Monday reported its first case of infection from Naegleria fowleri, or the “brain-eating amoeba.” The 50-year-old Korean, who had recently returned from Thailand, died 10 days after being admitted to the emergency room with symptoms of a rare and deadly infection, officials said.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) confirmed that the man had stayed in Thailand for four months before entering South Korea on December 10. A day later, he was taken to the emergency room after he began suffering from headaches, vomiting, neck stiffness and dry mouth, the report said.
The man died on December 21. Health officials conducted several tests to determine the exact cause of his death, which was eventually determined to be an infection caused by Naegleria fowleri.
Naegleria fowleri it means what?
Naegleria is an amoeba, a single-celled organism, and only one of its species, Naegleria fowleri, can infect humans, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). First discovered in Australia in 1965, this amoeba is commonly found in warm freshwater sources such as hot springs, rivers and lakes.
How does it affect humans??
The amoeba enters the human body through the nose and then travels to the brain. This usually happens when someone swims, or dives, or even immerses their head in fresh water. In some cases, the infection was diagnosed when people cleaned their nostrils with contaminated water. The scientists found no evidence of Naegleria folarii transmission through aerosol droplets.
Once Naegleria fowleri gets to the brain, it can destroy brain tissue and cause a life-threatening infection called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What are the symptoms of PAM (primary amebic meningoencephalitis)?
The first symptoms of this infection begin to appear within one to 12 days after infection. In the early stages, they may resemble the symptoms of meningitis, such as headache, nausea, and fever. In later stages, one may suffer from stiff neck, convulsions, hallucinations and coma.
The U.S. Public Health Agency also noted that the infection spreads rapidly and causes death on average within five days.
It notes that only four of 154 people infected with primary amebic meningoencephalitis in the United States from 1962 to 2021 survived.
What is the treatment for infection??
Because Naegleria fowleri infection is rare and progresses rapidly, scientists have yet to find any effective treatment. Currently, doctors treat it with a combination of drugs including amphotericin B, azithromycin, fluconazole, rifampin, miltefosine, and dexamethasone.
Will climate change increase the spread of infection??
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with rising global temperatures, the amoeba thrives mainly in warm freshwater sources, increasing the chances of Naegleria fowleri infection. This organism grows best at high temperatures up to 46°C and can sometimes survive at higher temperatures.
Various recent studies have found that excess atmospheric carbon dioxide has led to an increase in the temperature of lakes and rivers. These conditions provide a very favorable environment for the amoeba to grow.
Heat waves, when air and water temperatures are higher than usual, can allow the amoeba to thrive, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Initially, infections in the United States were reported mostly in southern states, however, in recent years, they have also been found in northern states.
So far, Naegleria fowleri has been found on all continents. Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis has been reported as an infectious cause in 16 countries, including India.
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