An outbreak of some pretty #spooky #amoeba. - http://clapway.com/2015/07/26/louisiana-drinking-water-contaminated-with-brain-eating-amoeba-136/

The brain-eating amoeba known as Naegleria fowleri has been confirmed to be in Louisiana, specifically, in the St. Bernard Parish in Southeast New Orleans. This can be a very deadly amoeba and has been found for the second time in the last two years.

The Contaminated St. Bernard Parish

The brain-eating amoeba was found in two of the five water supply sources. These water sources run for around 200 miles and produce water to 44,000 people. Officials are unsure of how the amoeba got into the water supply, as it has been found in both the treated and untreated water. It is possible that the water sources came in contact with warm ground water where the amoeba occurs naturally. Officials have planned a chlorine burn within the next couple of months to kill off the deadly amoeba.

Naegleria fowleri-The Brain-Eating Amoeba

Naegleria fowleri, or the ‘brain-eating amoeba’, is a type of Naegleria that can cause the disease meningoencephalitis, or PAM. Although it is rare, PAM can be an extremely fatal infection. The Center for Disease Control says that PAM is most often caught when a person gets water up his or her nose from swimming or another activity. PAM will eat away at the patient’s brain until it kills him or her, so the possibility of it should be taken very seriously.

The brain-eating amoeba cannot be transferred to a person through drinking or touching water, but caution should still be taken when in contact with the infected water. If the contaminated water gets into the nose, it will inch its way up to the brain where it will begin its process. However, symptoms are not immediate. It takes about 5 days for stiffness of the neck, nausea, and fever to be seen in the person.

Previous Cases

There have been several other reported cases of death from this brain-eating amoeba. One was in Minnesota while the other was in California. A 2003 study found that two children died from PAM in Arizona. A more recent study from 2015 found that a 4 year old from Louisiana caught PAM. In this case, it wasn’t contracted through swimming, but instead through playing on the water-slide that he had at his home.

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Louisiana Drinking Water Contaminated with Brain-Eating Amoeba

Minnesota: Brain-Eating Amoeba Kills Again - http://clapway.com/2015/07/12/minnesota-brain-eating-amoeba-kills-again567/

It’s the summer and all many of us crave to take a vacation and travel to the lake, or grab our tubes and go floating down the river while sipping a cold one and enjoying the company of our friends. Doesn’t that sound so ideal right now? You might want to think twice before you say yes, especially in certain areas of the United States. Over the last few years, we’ve read about several cases involving a brain-eating amoeba in Texas, Florida, Louisiana and Virginia, to name a few places. Now, it appears the microscopic amoeba has struck again!

Scene of the death: Minnesota

This week, a teenage boy in Minnesota became devastatingly ill after going for a swim in a nearby lake. Sadly, he boy did not survive. It was reported that he suffered from Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM), which is caused by a brain-eating amoeba entering the brain and taking up residence there. According to the CDC, up to eight people a year contract this infection, typically in the summer months when the water is warmer. This case makes only 3 total cases ever reported in more northern states, due to the cooler water conditions.

What Is the Brain-Eating Amoeba?

Formally known to scientists as Naegleria fowleri, this amoeba’s nickname explains it very well. This organism is known to cause a rare and destructive infection in the brain, and it is commonly found in lake waters, rivers, and hot springs (warm, freshwater areas.) The amoeba typically enters the brain through the nose, so it is not common for a person to contract the amoeba by drinking contaminated water. It’s rare that the amoeba is found in pools or tap water; however, there have been a few cases reported where the amoeba was acquired through those water sources.

What Are the Symptoms That this Amoeba Might Cause?

PAM is a disease of the central nervous system, and is almost always fatal. According to the CDC, there are only 4 known North American survivors. If contracted, you may experience severe headaches, usually in the frontal region, fever, nausea, vomiting, seizures, altered mental status, hallucinations, and possibly coma.

Unfortunately, there is no way to tell whether the water you are about to take a dive into is carrying this brain-eating amoeba, and there aren’t many precautions you can take to prevent you from contracting the infection. However, you can take comfort in the fact that these infections are incredibly rare. The CDC tells us that from 2005 to 2014, only 35 infections were reported, so the odds are certainly in your favor!

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Minnesota: Brain-Eating Amoeba Kills Again