What is brain-eating amoeba, which killed Texas man after swimming in Lyndon B. Johnson Lake?
Texas resident was infected with a brain-eating amoeba when he went swimming in Lake Lyndon B. Johnson and died later. Austin Public Health Officials have confirmed the incident, but have not publicly identified the victim. They said that a sample has been sent to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention for investigation of the matter.
Austin-Travis County Health Authority Dr. Desmar Walkes told journalists that these infections are rare, but they remind that there are microbes in the water bodies that pose a threat to human beings.
Brain-eating Amoeba: Symptoms of Infection
A freshwater single-celled organism Naegleria fowleri, commonly known as brain-eating amoeba enters the body through the nose and moves to the brain. It can cause primary amebic meningoencephalitis, which destroys brain tissues. It is fatal in most of the cases.
According to the CDC, symptoms of the infection begin to appear one to 12 days after exposure to the amoeba. The infected person may have nausea, vomiting, seizures, altered mental state, fever, severe headache, stiff neck and hallucination. The patient may die 18 days after the symptoms begin to appear.
Freshwater organism
Health officials have said that as Naegleria fowleri occurs naturally, they can be found in natural water bodies so swimmers be aware of this danger. This amoeba is not found in salt water, but poorly maintained or infected water bodies may have this amoeba. They have also said that the swimmers should hold their noses shut, use nose clips, or should keep their heads above the water level so that water does not enter their noses.
CDC Warns swimmers
According to the CDC, swimmers or those going boating should avoid jumping into water in summer when the temperature
