2023 was the hottest summer Over the past 2000 yearsIn the summer of 2024 Equally intenseAs summer reaches its peak, freshwater lakes and pools across the U.S. fill with people looking to cool off. The temperature of these freshwater environments Rising water levels can change the organisms that live there, posing harmful or even deadly threats to swimmers.
Naegleria fowleri It’s one of those threats that seems poised to start infecting more people, but surprisingly, it hasn’t started yet.
N. Forelli Amoebas, like many of their kind, are single-celled organisms that prefer warm temperatures, live in soil or freshwater, and feed on bacteria. Amoebas can be found in lakes, rivers, hot springs, and wells. Tap water Poorly maintained swimming pool etc. Other water sources.
The scary thing about these tiny creatures is that they can invade the brain through the nerves in the nose and destroy brain cells, causing a rare infection that can lead to a potentially fatal condition called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). N. Forelli is generally “Brain-eating amoeba“
Related: 2-year-old dies in Nevada due to rare ‘brain-eating’ amoeba infection
N. Forelli Infections that cause PAM Relatively rare An average of 0-8 laboratory-confirmed cases are reported annually in the United States. All cases of PAM occur in N. Forelli In cases of infection, this deadly disease can be spread by other, more common, nervous system infections, e.g. Bacterial meningitis and Viral encephalitisSuch misdiagnosis may result in some cases of PAM being missed.
Symptoms of PAM Symptoms usually begin 1 to 12 days after a person is exposed to the ameba, and people die within 1 to 18 days after symptoms begin. N. Forelli The infection also develops slowly, making diagnosis even more complicated, and there are no specific drugs to kill the amebas.
Historically diagnosed N. Forelli Infections have been concentrated in the warmer southern states, but in recent years the amoeba has been detected and can even cause infections in the north. Iowa, Nebraska and MinnesotaThe reason is This is climate change.
Infections seen in northern latitudes Researchers are worried Due to rising temperatures N. Forelli Infections become more common.
Liga StaalFaculty at the University of Alabama Recently Published Studying how environmental changes affect growth N. Forelli Staal said, N. Forelli They can withstand high temperature fluctuations that other aquatic microorganisms cannot tolerate. This resilience allows the amoeba to outlast its competitors and increase its access to resources.
Stahl said the amoeba can survive in a wide range of temperatures and acidities, thriving in temperatures up to 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 degrees Celsius), but has been known to thrive in temperatures as low as 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26 degrees Celsius).
“It can certainly thrive in a variety of environments,” Staal told Live Science. As water temperatures in U.S. lakes and rivers rise due to global warming and thermal pollution from manufacturers who use water as a coolant, it fosters more favorable conditions for the algae. N. Forelli To thrive, she said.
Rising temperatures are not the only factor driving the spread of infection N. ForelliBut stronger and more frequent Climate Change Storms Storms can cause localized changes in water levels and increase the amount of organic matter that is washed into the water by runoff. This runoff can nourish aquatic organisms, including the brain-eating creatures. Storms not only disperse more water bodies, N. Forelli Not only does it move from land to water, but it also changes the levels of other aquatic microorganisms.
Related: Deadly ‘brain-eating’ amoeba successfully treated with repurposed urinary tract infection drug
“We may see a surge in these microbes after extreme weather events.” Charles Gerber“The bottom line is that the more nutrients there are in the water, the more bacteria there will be,” said Gerba, a professor of microbiology and public health at the University of Arizona.
“When you have less dissolved oxygen, it makes it easier for things to grow and potentially increases bacterial growth,” Staal added. “If there’s more food in the water, N. Forelli Eat more or be happier.”
Already, major changes in freshwater sources have N. Forelli At both northern and southern latitudes. But, paradoxically, there is still a significant Brain-eating amoeba infections on the riseWe still see about one or two cases a year, but why?
The aforementioned diagnostic difficulties N. Forelli Transmission could be a factor — cases just aren’t being reported — and Gerba said he believes there are other reasons for underdiagnosis, especially in the north of the country.
“We’re seeing it moving further and further north,” Garba said. “People in Minnesota and Michigan might see a case and not think of it as a possible infection, so it’s probably being overlooked.”
The evidence is, PAM cases may be under-reported This is due to a lack of expertise among medical staff in very rare diseases and because autopsies are not always performed on patients who die.
In addition to the increase in cases in the north, the summer temperatures are lingering, N. Forelli It will increase,” Gerba said. N. Forelli Infection In other countries, the trend is increasingExperts are calling on US clinicians to be more aware of these symptoms and to educate the public more about the brain-eating amoeba.
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