What are brain amoebae and how to protect themselves?

This sounds like the plot of a horror movie: deadly amoeba that "eat the brain". But for a man from North Carolina, this nightmare has tragically come to life.

After swam in a lake at a water park in Cumberland County on July 12th, this 59-year-old man, Eddie Gray, was infected with an amoeba, known as Naegleria fowleri, and died later. according to a statement issued by the North. Carolina Department of Health and Social Services.

"The body invades through the nose, up to the brain," Stan Foreshealth Disease Specialist Stan Deresinski told Yahoo Lifestyle. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it destroys brain tissue, causing brain swelling and death.

"Naegleria fowleri is at the root of this acute, rapidly progressive and most often fatal disease," said Deresinski. "Clinically, it looks like a severe and rapidly evolving bacterial meningitis."

The symptoms of the infection begin with severe headache, fever, nausea and vomiting and can develop into stiff neck, convulsions and coma, according to the Ministry of Health and Services. of North Carolina.

The microscopic amoeba is usually found in fresh and warm lakes and rivers (especially in the southern states), as well as in hot springs, according to the CDC. Another possible risk of infection is nasal irrigation (also called "pot neti") with contaminated tap water.

However, you can not get infected by drinking water contaminated with Naegleria fowleri because your stomach acid kills it. The unicellular organism is also not found in salt water, like the ocean. And here's a reason to take care of the maintenance of swimming pools: The amoeba is not usually found in pools, because "it is killed by a sufficient amount of chlorine," says Deresinski.

It should be noted that infections caused by amoebae that "eat the brain" are rare. According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, there were only 145 known individuals infected with Naegleria fowleri in the United States from 1962 to 2018.

Still, how can you protect yourself? Your best bet is to keep your head out of the water when you swim in lakes and rivers. Or better yet, wear nasal plugs.

The story continues

"Rationally, I would not particularly worry about it," says Deresinksi. "But if I lived on the lake and had a child who wanted to swim in the lake, I would have him wear nose clips."

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