In an horrifying case, South Korea said its first case of contamination with Naegleria fowleri, additionally recognised as “mind-ingesting amoeba,” on Monday, a record with the aid of using the Korea Times stated. The 50-year-antique Korean country wide who had these days back from Thailand died 10 days after displaying signs and symptoms of the uncommon however deadly contamination, in keeping with authorities.
According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), the person spent 4 months in Thailand earlier than coming into South Korea on December 10. The record stated he became taken to the emergency room an afternoon later after experiencing headaches, vomiting, stiffness withinside the neck, and slurred speech.
This isn’t the primary time that the Naegleria fowleri has made news. Earlier, the dying of a infant in Nebraska in US this summer time season reintroduced the uncommon however lethal mind-ingesting amoeba. The amoeba can input the frame via the nostril and tour to the mind, in which it starts to wreck tissue.
WHAT IS THE NAEGLERIA?
Naegleria is an amoeba that lives on its own (a single-celled residing organism). It is so small that simplest a microscope can see it, the CDC says. It is maximum normally located in soil and heat clean water (consisting of lakes, rivers, and warm springs). Naegleria fowleri is the simplest species that infects human beings.
HOW DOES IT INFECT PEOPLE?
When water containing the amoeba enters the frame via the nostril, it infects humans. This normally takes place whilst humans cross swimming, diving, or submerge their heads in clean water, consisting of lakes and rivers. The amoeba then travels up the nostril to the mind, in which it destroys mind tissue and reasons number one amebic meningoencephalitis, a lethal contamination (PAM). PAM is almost continually deadly.
Infections with Naegleria fowleri also can arise whilst humans use infected faucet water to smooth their noses throughout non secular practises or to rinse their sinuses (sending water up the nostril), the CDC states.In extraordinarily uncommon instances, humans have shrunk Naegleria fowleri infections from leisure water that lacked enough chlorine, consisting of pools, splash pads, or surf parks.
Naegleria fowleri can not unfold via water vapour or aerosol droplets, in keeping with research (consisting of bathe mist or vapour from a humidifier).
IS IT PRESENT IN INDIA?
According to a record withinside the Indian Express, the Naegleria fowleri has been diagnosed because the reason of PAM in over sixteen countries, consisting of India, and has been located on all continents.
WHERE CAN YOU FIND NAEGLERIA FOWLERI?
Naegleria fowleri may be located in heat clean water and soil all around the world, the CDC states. The amebae may be located in any freshwater frame withinside the United States, the frame has stated, and are in particular universal throughout the hotter months of July, August, and September.
Naegleria fowleri is a heat-loving (thermophilic) organism, because of this that it flourishes in warm environments and prefers heat water. It grows excellent at temperatures as excessive as 115°F (46°C) and might live to tell the tale at even better temperatures for brief intervals of time. Water temperatures from lakes and rivers related to a few PAM instances had been normally better than 80°F, in keeping with scientists. However, the amebae can be capable of live to tell the tale in water temperatures under 80°F.
The ameba may be located withinside the following places:
- Lakes and rivers with heat clean water
- Water this is geothermal (obviously warm), consisting of warm springs
- Industrial or strength plant discharge of heat water
- Sources of untreated geothermal (obviously warm) ingesting water
- Poorly maintained swimming pools, splash pads, surf parks, or different leisure venues with inadequate chlorine
- Water from the faucet
- Heaters for water
- Soil, consisting of sediment from lakes, ponds, and rivers
- Naegleria fowleri does now no longer stay in salt water, consisting of the ocean.
IN THE UNITED STATES, HOW COMMON ARE NAEGLERIA FOWLERI INFECTIONS?
Infections with Naegleria fowleri are uncommon, the CDC says. From 2012 to 2021, among 0 and 5 instances had been recognized yearly withinside the United States, and a complete 31 infections had been said throughout this time period. Twenty-8 of these instances concerned publicity to leisure water, concerned rinsing their sinuses with infected faucet water, and one concerned infected faucet water used on a outside slip-and-slide.
The majority of Naegleria fowleri infections arise in younger males, specifically the ones elderly 14 and under. The motives for this are obscure. Young boys can be much more likely than others to have interaction in sports consisting of diving into water and gambling withinside the sediment at the lowest of lakes and rivers, the record stated.
IS IT POSSIBLE FOR AN INFECTION TO SPREAD FROM ONE PERSON TO ANOTHER?
No. Naegleria fowleri contamination can not be handed from character to character.
WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF AN INFECTION WITH NAEGLERIA FOWLERI?
PAM is because of Naegleria fowleri, a mind contamination that destroys mind tissue. PAM signs and symptoms can be much like the ones of bacterial meningitis withinside the early stages.
The first signs and symptoms of PAM normally seem approximately five days after contamination, however they could seem everywhere among 1 and 12 days. Headache, fever, nausea, and vomiting are all feasible signs and symptoms. Seizures, hallucinations, and coma are not unusualplace later signs and symptoms. After signs and symptoms seem, the ailment progresses fast and normally kills inside five days (however dying can show up inside 1 to 18 days).
IS CLIMATE CHANGE CAUSING MORE INSTANCES OF PAM?
Warmer temperatures now no longer simplest permit pathogens like Naegleria to live to tell the tale and grow, however additionally they power humans into the water extra, growing their chance, Yun Shen, an environmental engineer on the University of California, Riverside instructed the Guardian.
Climate extrade is likewise exacerbating excessive climate activities like flooding and drought, which could introduce extra pathogens into the surroundings. “In drought areas, pathogens can be focused in water bodies, that may growth pathogen publicity dose whilst human beings come into touch with the water bodies,” Shen says. Water can switch pathogens withinside the surroundings in flood-inclined areas; for example, a flood ought to carry pathogens from soil or aquatic environments to houses and buildings, or reason wastewater series to overflow and spew pathogens into the surroundings.
“In the future, humans residing in bloodless areas can be uncovered to hotter climate and a better chance of pathogen publicity because of weather extrade,” Shen instructed the Guardian.