Rare amoeba eats the human brain

• April 29, 2024

Two children and a young adult died in the last months for a amoeba who lives in the water and who, apparently, eats the brain of people.

The information published in The New York Times , notes that the unusual infection killed a 16-year-old girl from Florida, who became ill after swimming, and a 9-year-old Virginia boy, who died a week after going to a fishing camp.

It's about the amoeba Naegleria fowleri, which can cause a rare, but severe infection in the brain. It is usually found in rivers and lakes during the hottest months. Of all the amoebas that are housed in these places, only this one is capable of infecting human beings.

This bacterium goes up through the nose, scratches the skull and destroys brain tissue. According to the health authorities of Florida, these cases coincide with those registered a year ago, leaving four deaths of children who swam or performed water sports in lakes or ponds.

About, Raoult Ratard , an epidemiologist from the state of Louisiana, said it is an extremely rare disease that has occurred in recent years: "About 120 cases (almost all fatal) in the United States since the amoeba was identified in the 1960s, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Video Medicine: How A Tiny Amoeba Can Eat Your Brain (April 2024).