All articles tagged with #brain eating amoeba
An 8-year-old Louisiana girl died after likely contracting Naegleria fowleri from swimming in Lake Claiborne. The brain-eating amoeba infects via the nose and is almost always fatal, with fewer than 10 U.S. deaths per year and very few survivors; protection tips include nose clips, avoiding shallow waters, and keeping the head above water in hot springs.
An 8-year-old girl in Louisiana died after contracting Naegleria fowleri, a rare brain-eating amoeba found in warm freshwater, likely from Lake Claiborne. Infections are extremely rare and almost always fatal; this marks Louisiana's first confirmed case since 2013, with fewer than 10 U.S. cases annually.
An 8-year-old girl in Louisiana has died after contracting a brain-eating amoeba, Naegleria fowleri, from freshwater. Infections with this microbe cause primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) and are extremely rare but typically fatal. Transmission occurs when contaminated water enters the nose during swimming or wading in warm, untreated freshwater; it is not spread person-to-person. Health officials urge precautions around warm lakes and rivers, including avoiding nasal exposure and using nose clips or other barriers when possible.
An 8-year-old Ruston girl, Lillian Smart, died after contracting Naegleria fowleri, a rare brain-eating amoeba, likely from a Lake Claiborne swim. The infection is extremely rare and almost always fatal; health officials advise precautions for warm freshwater (keep heads out of the water, nose clips, avoid disturbing sediments). The LDH notes PAM cases are rare in the U.S. (about 180 since 1937–2025) and urges awareness, with Louisiana reporting three cases in that period.
An 8-year-old Louisiana girl, Lillian Smart, died after being infected with Naegleria fowleri (brain-eating amoeba) suspected to have been contracted while swimming in Lake Claiborne; PAM is extremely rare and usually fatal, with most documented cases occurring in July–August.
An 8-year-old girl, Lillian Smart of Ruston, Louisiana, died after contracting Naegleria fowleri, a rare brain-eating amoeba likely acquired during a swim at Lake Claiborne. The infection, which happens when contaminated water enters the nose, is extremely rare and nearly always fatal; health officials emphasize it does not spread from person to person and climate-driven warming may expand the amoeba’s range. A community fundraiser supported the family as officials investigate the case.
An 8-year-old girl in Ruston, Louisiana died after contracting Naegleria fowleri, a rare brain-eating amoeba likely acquired during a Lake Claiborne swim; the infection affects the nose and can cause fatal brain inflammation, with about 97% mortality; Louisiana has had three prior Naegleria fowleri deaths since 2011.
An eight-year-old girl from Ruston, Louisiana died from a Naegleria fowleri infection—an extremely rare brain-eating amoeba likely contracted during a swim in Lake Claiborne. The state confirmed the infection and noted such cases are almost always fatal; experts say warm freshwater and climate change may increase exposure risks.
A Louisiana resident is hospitalized after contracting primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a rare brain infection caused by the brain-eating amoeba Naegleria fowleri, from swimming in Lake Claiborne. PAM has a about a 97% fatality rate with only four U.S. survivors since 1937. Health officials warn that warm freshwater lakes and inadequately chlorinated pools can harbor the amoeba, and prevention focuses on nose protection when in such waters; there is currently no reliable method to reduce amoebas in water.
Louisiana health officials confirmed a case of Naegleria fowleri, a brain-eating amoeba, in a resident who likely contracted it while swimming in Lake Claiborne. The infection is extremely rare and almost always fatal, with symptoms typically starting about five days after exposure and progressing from headache and fever to stiff neck, seizures, and coma. It is not transmitted person-to-person, and there is no routine environmental test for the amoeba. Nationally, about 180 cases have been recorded since 1937–2025, with past Louisiana fatalities in 2011 and 2013; prevention focuses on reducing water entering the nose in warm freshwater during summer.
Naegleria fowleri is a heat-loving amoeba found in warm freshwater and hot springs that can invade the brain through the nose, causing primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a typically fatal disease that remains extremely rare. Infections are linked to swimming and nasal exposure in warm waters, with symptoms that escalate from headaches and nausea to confusion, seizures, and coma. The parasite is worldwide in warm climates and may spread with rising temperatures, though recent outbreaks show treatment can save lives: in Kerala in 2025, around 200 PAM patients were treated with antiparasitic and antifungal drugs, and more than half of those with known outcomes survived. Prevention includes nose clips or holding the nose when in warm water; transmission is not person-to-person and is not caused by swallowing water.
A new Outside study finds Naegleria fowleri, the brain-eating amoeba, in hot springs and thermally heated waters across western National Park Service sites including Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Lake Mead Recreation Area. The amoeba was detected in 34% of samples, with some locations showing concentrations high enough to exceed public health limits. Infections are rare but typically fatal, occurring when the organism enters the nose and travels to the brain. As water warms with climate change, the amoeba’s range may expand, increasing exposure risk. Public health guidance emphasizes avoiding nasal exposure, using nose clips, keeping the head above water, and monitoring for symptoms. While not alarmist, authorities urge enhanced monitoring and awareness in thermally influenced recreational waters.
Infections by Naegleria fowleri, which cause primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), are almost always fatal (over 97%); however, miltefosine—an anti-leishmaniasis drug that can cross the blood–brain barrier—has saved several patients since 2013, spurring research into alternatives like nitroxoline and potential vaccines, as well as other strategies. The key to improving outcomes remains rapid diagnosis and access to treatment, though funding challenges for trials in this rare disease persist. Climate warming of waterways could raise exposure in the future, prompting renewed urgency in PAM research.
Rising temperatures expand Naegleria fowleri’s habitat in warm freshwater, raising the global risk of deadly infections that occur when contaminated water enters the nose. Infections are rare but highly fatal (about 95–99%). Prevention centers on avoiding nasal exposure (no submerging the head, nose clips), using sterile or boiled water for nasal rinsing, and maintaining proper chlorination and flushing of water systems, as climate change broadens the amoeba’s range in recreational waters.
Kerala, India, is experiencing an increase in cases of the rare and deadly brain-eating amoeba, Naegleria fowleri, with improved detection and early treatment reducing fatalities. The state's reliance on groundwater and natural water bodies, combined with climate change, heightens the risk of infection, prompting public health measures focused on awareness, water safety, and early diagnosis to combat the disease.