Naegleria fowleri, aka the infamous "Brain-eating Amoeba"?

Question

Anyone know anything about it, how its prevented, where its reported to be, can it be stopped once its started, etc?

Answer 1

Its not rare. It can be found in the soil, air and freshwater bodies of water, yet is it potentially deadly to humans in extremely rare cases. Less than 200 people have been known to have died in the world from this amoeba. The conditions that can cause death are swimming in very warm water that is at low levels or shallower than normal. A person has to get water up his nose that the amoeba is swimming in and the amoeba then swims up the olfactory canal to the brain. The brain and the spinal cord become inflamed. The symptoms can present themselves up to 2 weeks after infection. Unfortunately, once infected, death is common in 3 to 7 days. It is a thermophillic amoeba, which means is lives at very warm temperatures, it is very common in tropical and subtropical lakes. To avoid becoming infected, hold your nose when diving into warm water, don't stir up the bottom of the river or lake.
I'm assuming that you have been hearing about the boy in Lake Havasu, AZ that recently died from this. The media has been calling this a brain eating amoeba which is not exactly correct. It is an inflammation of the brain and it does cause death. But death from it is so extremely rare that you really shouldn't have to worry about it. The odds are billions to one. I have never heard of any cases where more than one person in a group of swimmers was infected. Many people swim in the same water as this amoeba all over the world and it so rarely infects anyone. Because it can float on dust in the air it lands in swimming pools. It cannot survive in chlorine so only unchlorinated pools will have it.

Answer 2

I'm in medical school and studied this organism. While it is technically possible to get N. fowleri in any fresh water environment, you almost definitely don't have it. Firstly, it's extremely rare. Millions of people swim in fresh water lakes every year, but VERY few actually get the disease. Secondly, it causes death in 7 days. If you haven't become sick enough to go to the hospital in 3 days, you don't have it. You posted this question 4 days ago, meaning it's already 7 days from exposure. If you're still alive and reading this, you DO NOT have it. On another note, if you *know* that there's a link between headaches and dehydration and you *know* you haven't been drinking water and now have a headache, DRINK WATER. I saw on your page that you worry about dying all of the time. See a doctor. You might have a mental illness.

Answer 3

They live in still warm water, such as lakes, usually rivers are more colder and have a current, so rivers are better. They go up your nasal cavities and start eating your brain [ewww] and if you catch it soon enough [which is hard to tell] it will kill you and there's nothing that will stop it. A few kids have died from it already..Actually one about an hour and 1/2 away from where i live.

Answer 4

Wear nose plugs and do not worry over much. There are many dangers in the world and this is an ancient one. It can be treated, but must be treated early. Usually fatal, but very rare, as it is hard for this protist to get far enough into your nasal passages to do harm.

Answer 5

From what I've read, all six people who have died from this were boys. I don't know the reason for this but it could be because boys tend to play more roughly in the water than girls do and are more likely to get water up their noses. Also, this disease thrives in warm water. At least one of the boys caught it while swimming in Lake Havasu in Arizona during the summer.