A Missouri resident died after being infected with a rare brain-eating amoeba in the Ozarks lake, state health officials announced this week.
A patient identified only as an adult in Missouri died Tuesday. St. Louis Area A hospital with the Missouri Department of Health (DHSS) said in a news release.
Authorities confirmed on August 13 that the individual suffered from Naegleria Fowleri, a microscopic amoeba that causes primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM).
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The victim was admitted to the intensive care unit before succumbing to the infection. This was thought to have contracted a few days before water skiing at the Ozarks lake in central Missouri. It was reported previously.
Naegleria fowleri is naturally found in warm freshwater, such as lakes, rivers, and ponds. Amoeba thrives in river and lake waters, especially after storms, at 80-115 degrees Fahrenheit.
Ameba infects people when water enters the body through the nose, causing the brain to travel to the brain, where the brain destroys the brain’s tissues.
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Health officials emphasized that infection Very rare. Less than 10 cases are reported in the US each year.
Since 1962, only 167 cases have been documented nationwide, according to the DHSS. Missouri only confirmed two other cases in its history. One is in 1987 and the other is in 2022.
The department urged residents and visitors Take precautions When swimming in warm freshwater or playing water sports. It is recommended to close your nose, use clips, avoid stirring sediments with warm shallow water, soak your head in hot springs, or use distilled or boiling water.
Symptoms of PAM can appear within 1-12 days of exposure and may include severe headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, stiff neck, seizures, confusion, and hallucinations. Symptoms are likely to worsen over time, officials noted.
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Tammy Lundstrom, Chief Medical Officer and Infectious Diseases Specialist at Trinity Health in Michigan, previously told Fox News Digital.
Drinking Contaminated water There is no risk, and the infection will not spread from one person to another, Lundstrom added.
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Treatments usually include a variety of antifungal drugs and antibiotics such as rifampin and azithromycin, she said.
The health agency said in a press release that no other cases are suspected in the area.
Fox News Digital has contacted the Missouri Department of Health and Advanced Services for more information.
Melissa Rudy of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
