Mysterious Waterborne Brain Amoeba is 95% Lethal: Prevention is Key
By Donald A. Donahue, Jr., DHEd, FACHE
A brain amoeba responsible for three deaths so far this summer is likely to multiply in warm freshwater ponds and lakes, and appears to prefer the warm climate of the Southern states. While the infection is extremely rare, it is almost always lethal: A human who contracts it has only a 5 percent chance of survival. More than 100 people have died from amoebas in the U.S. since 1962. Health officials said that fatal amoeba infections almost always happen in the summer and only in freshwater lakes and ponds where water is above 80 degrees.
See: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/199494/20110817/brain-amoeba-naegleria-fowleri-death-water-pond-lake-warm-stagnant-primary-amoebic-meningoencephalit.htm
The death of a child is always tragic, perhaps even more so when associated with something as natural as a trip to the swimming hole. This quintessential summertime activity can pose a grave danger, albeit an extremely rare one. The media count of 118 deaths from amoebic meningoencephalitis since 1962 represents a rate of only 2 to 3 per year. This rarity is scant comfort to the families of those victims. The nature of this infection is such that it has progressed significantly – typically beyond the ability to combat – by the time it is diagnosed. That leaves the simple act of avoidance as the best prevention. The preferable location for swimming is in a treated pool. Avoid swimming in warm, standing, fresh water, such as ponds or discharge pools, or non-chlorinated swimming pools. If a fever develops following swimming in fresh water, seek immediate medical advice. A dip in the water on a hot summer day is one of the simple pleasures in life. A bit of caution can keep it as a happy memory.