Officials in Nevada are warning visitors about brain-eating amoeba, with an infection fatality rate of nearly 100%, found in Lake Mead.
Lake Mead National Recreation Area says Naegleria fowleri – better known as the “brain-eating amoeba” – has been found in hot springs in hot springs below Hoover Dam.
“Naegleria fowleri has been found in hot springs,” according to a Lake Mead National Recreation Area spokesperson.
“This amoeba enters through the nose and can cause a fatal infection that causes sudden and severe headache, fever, and vomiting.”
The national recreation area advises visitors to avoid diving, splashing, or submerging in hot spring water.
In the US, there have been at least four reported deaths this year from the infection, which occurs when the amoeba enters the nose while submerged in fresh water, usually while swimming.
The national recreation area advises visitors to avoid going near hot water.Getty Images Lake Mead National Recreation Area says Naegleria fowleri has been found in hot springs below Hoover Dam.Getty Images
According to the CDC, Nagleria fowleri can cause fatal primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), which destroys brain tissue.
Of the 157 people known to have been infected in the US between 1962 and 2022, only four individuals survived – meaning the death rate is more than 97%.
In late July, a 17-year-old Georgia girl, Morgan Ebenroth, died after contracting the infection while swimming in a lake with friends.
Nagleria fowleri can cause fatal primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), which destroys brain tissue.Getty Images/iStockphoto
And in February, a Florida man died after he became infected while washing his face and rinsing his sinuses with tap water containing Nagleria fowleri.
The amoeba thrives in warm water, growing best in July, August and September, the CDC says.
Some experts believe that climate change could make Naegleria fowleri infections more common.
3D illustration showing a smear of cerebrospinal fluid containing trophozoites of the brain-eating amoeba Naegleria fowleri and neutrophils.Getty Images/iStockphoto
“As air temperatures rise, water temperatures in lakes and ponds also rise, and water levels may be lower,” the CDC website says. “These conditions provide a better environment for the amoeba to thrive.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
