A case involving Naegleria fowleri – commonly known as a “brain-eating amoeba” – has been reported in Florida.
The Florida Department of Department Health confirmed a case in Hillsborough County Friday. Hillsborough County, and county seat Tampa, is in southwest Florida.
No other information regarding the case was released.
Naegleria fowleri is an amoeba that can case a rare brain infection that destroys tissue and is usually fatal. The amoeba is found in warm freshwater such as lakes, rivers, ponds and canals. People become infected when contaminated water enters the body through the nose and then the amoeba travels to the brain where it causes a rare condition called primary amebic meningoencephalitis.
Symptoms of the infection include fever, headaches, nausea, disorientation, vomiting, stiff neck, loss of balance, seizures or hallucinations. The disease can progress rapidly and medical treatment must be sought immediately.
The peak season for Naegleria fowleri is July, August and September when water temperatures are high.
The infections are rare with only 37 reported cases in Florida since 1962, according to the Department of Health. From 2009 to 2018, 34 infections have been reported in the U.S.
To avoid infection, people are advised to avoid water-related activities in bodies of warm freshwater, particularly during periods of low water levels; hold your nose shut when in warm freshwater such as lakes or rivers; and avoid digging or stirring up sediment in shallow freshwater areas.
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July 06, 2020 at 06:51PM
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Brain-eating amoeba case confirmed in Florida - AL.com
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