The so-called “brain-eating” amoeba, Naegleria fowleri, is a nasty little bug. The majority of cases of infection in the last few decades have proven fatal. Photo: Centers for Disease Control
Over the weekend, news broke that a New Jersey surfer had tragically died of a “brain-eating amoeba,” and that representatives from the Centers for Disease Control were testing the waters of BSR Surf Resort in Waco, Texas for the presence of the bug.
It’s unclear if the surfer who died of the infection contracted the brain-eating amoeba, Naegleria fowleri, at the Waco pool or somewhere else as the CDC has yet to release the results of the tests it conducted. Still, the park has since shuttered at least until March – though, according to an official statement obtained by The Inertia, park representatives say they were already planning to close at the end of October for the winter.
Many questions remain unanswered. But, a number of surfers who have visited Waco since the new wave pool’s unveiling back in May are understandably concerned that they may have come in contact with contaminated water and may be at risk – though, to be clear, there is of yet no definitive evidence that Naegleria fowleri was present in the water at BSR Surf Resort. A CDC spokesperson confirmed that “there have been no reports of other illnesses.”
In an effort to assuage many of those fears, we thought it’d be especially prudent to create a resource explaining what Naegleria fowleri is, and what the symptoms are of an infection.
What is Naegleria fowleri and why is it dangerous?
According to Dr. Jennifer Cope, an epidemiologist with the Waterborne Disease Prevention Branch at CDC, Naegleria fowleri is “an amoeba commonly found in warm freshwater, such as lakes, rivers, streams, and hot springs.” The reason it is so concerning is it can cause a rare and devastating infection called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). “The amoeba infects people when contaminated water enters the body through the nose. It then travels up the olfactory nerve to the brain where it causes PAM, which is usually fatal,” explains Dr. Cope. Infection can only occur after exposure to water, though. The amoeba does not travel person to person.
How common is it?
The good news for most is PAM caused by Naegleria fowleri is extremely rare. There have been a total of just 143 confirmed cases in the United States from 1962 to 2016. The bad news is the majority of these cases have been fatal. Only five survivors’ cases have been well-documented – four in the United States and one in Mexico.
What are the symptoms of an infection?
A CDC spokesperson told us in an email that symptoms of an infection typically begin a few days after exposure. “Symptoms start one to 9 days after exposure to the amoeba (on average 5 days later),” they said. “Signs and symptoms include severe frontal headache, fever, nausea, and vomiting.”
I have symptoms, what should I do?
See a doctor. In order to test for infection, Dr. Cope explains that “brain imaging is not often helpful in the diagnosis of PAM because findings are often normal early in the course of the disease.” Dr. Cope does say, however, that Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sampling may be able to detect Naegleria fowleri and that physicians and specialists may consult the CDC for additional testing.
Treatment
According to the CDC’s website, “an investigational breast cancer and anti-leishmania drug, miltefosine 8, has shown some promise” in recent years in fighting Naegleria fowleri infections. In 2013, two children survived separate infections after treatment with the drug, and another case in 2016 relied on similar treatment. Two of the three children survived with no neurological damage.
For more information, visit the CDC’s website here, or check out Dr. Jennifer Cope’s CDC Expert Commentary feature in collaboration with Medscape.
