- Arizona reports brain-eating amoeba
- Unknown cause and investigation ongoing
- Survivors face long-term challenges
An individual from Arizona has reported what appears to be a case of Naegleria Fowleri, also referred to as the brain-eating amoeba.
Unknown Cause and Patient Details
The cause of the illness is unknown, and they are unable to disclose the individual’s gender or current condition.
Only four Americans have survived the infection. The freshwater-dwelling amoeba typically destroys 97 percent of its prey.
Rare Infection and Past Cases
Since 2013, thirty cases of the rare and severe infection have been documented in the United States, presuming this case is confirmed. It is believed the individual contracted it while visiting a state park.
Laboratory Testing and Ongoing Investigation
On Tuesday, the Arizona Department of Health submitted samples to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, expecting results on Friday.
Although the total number of amoeba-related fatalities in recent years is relatively low, an estimated four have occurred this year, with the most recent in Texas following swimming in Lake Lyndon B. Johnson.
Previously, a man in Florida, a two-year-old child in Nevada, and a Georgia resident died from the disease.
Mohave County public health officials and the Arizona Department of Health Services are investigating a possible Naegleria Fowleri case.
“The investigation into potential exposures and locations of exposure is ongoing.”
Information regarding the case is limited, including the gender, age, hospitalization status, or demise of the individual in question.
Naegleria fowleri causes severe brain inflammation and damage, entering through the nose and olfactory nerve, which affects the sense of scent.
Symptoms include a splitting pain, fever, nausea, and vomiting. Death may occur about five days after symptom onset.
Although usually lethal, some Americans have recovered from primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a potentially debilitating infection.
Severely damaged brain tissue affects motor skills, cognitive functions, and speech ability. Survivors need to retrain how to walk and speak.
Survivors and Ongoing Impact
Doctors believe 12-year-old Kali Hardig, originally from Arkansas, contracted Naegleria fowleri at a water park. Pronounced a “death sentence,” she survived and became a mother ten years later.
Fourteen-year-old Caleb Ziegelbauer from Florida has been infected for the past year. Brain injury requires him to use a wheelchair and rely on facial expressions for communication.
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