USA: Minor dies of naegleriasis, a rare amoeba infection found in areas with stagnant water

A minor died in Nevada of USA due to complications of meningoencephalitis after contracting a rare amoebawhich “eats” the brain, according to US state health authorities.

The victim, described as a “Clarke County resident under the age of 18,” is believed to have been infected in Lake Mead in early October and first developed symptoms a week later.

Fermin LeGuen, an official with the health district of Nevada, emphasized that this specific infection is extremely rare, in an effort to reassure the public.

The amoeba Naegleria fowleri is a single-celled organism so small that it can only be seen under a microscope, reports the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is commonly found in areas with stagnant water and less commonly in pools with insufficient chlorination or contaminated tap water.

Negliriasis – also known as primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) – is a rare brain infection. Symptoms may include severe headache, fever, nausea and vomiting. As the infection worsens, the symptoms – which appear 1-12 days after exposure – can progress to seizures or hallucinations and lead to death.

Last year, a seven-year-old boy died of naegleriasis in California, after allegedly contracting it while swimming in a lake in North Carolina. State health officials pointed out at the time that only 10 cases of PAM, caused by the amoeba Naegleria fowleri, had been reported in California since 1971.