The Missouri resident died by the brain eater amiba probably contracted in Ozarks
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A Missouri resident died after being infected with a rare brain -eating amibe at Lake Ozarks, state health officials announced this week.
The patient, identified only as an adult in Missouri, died on Tuesday in a hospital in the St. Louis region, said Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) in a press release.
Officials confirmed on August 13 that the individual had contracted Naegleria Fowleri, a microscopic amoeba which causes primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM) – Rare cerebral infection but almost always fatal often called “brain” disease.
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The victim was hospitalized in intensive care before succumbing to the infection, which would have been contracted while the aquatic skiing days would have on Lake Ozarks in the center of the Missouri, Fox News Digital reported.
A Missouri resident died after being infected with a rare brain-eaten amibe, perhaps linked to water skiing in the Lake of Ozarks. (Brent Frazee / Kansas City Star / Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Naegleria Fowleri is naturally present in hot freshwater such as lakes, rivers and ponds. The amibe prosperous in the water of the river and the lake at 80 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit, especially after the storms.
The amibe infects people when the water penetrates the body through the nose, traveling towards the brain where it destroys cerebral tissues.
Death confirmed by an “amoeban” of the rare and deadly brain in the south of the lake
Health officials have stressed that infection is extremely rare. Less than 10 cases are reported in the United States each year.
Since 1962, only 167 cases have been documented nationally, according to the DHSS. The Missouri only confirmed two other cases in its history – one in 1987 and another in 2022.
The department urged residents and visitors to take precautions during swimming or participation in water sports in hot freshwater. He recommends keeping your nose closed or using clips, avoiding stirring sediments in shallow hot waters, not soaking your head in hot springs and using distilled or boiled water for sinus rinsing.
Managers urge residents and visitors to take precautions during swimming or participation in water sports in hot freshwater. (istock)
PAM symptoms may appear in one to 12 days depending on exposure and may include severe headaches, fever, nausea, vomiting, stiff neck, convulsions, confusion and hallucinations. Symptoms are likely to worsen over time, have noted those responsible.
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“The first symptoms should cause a medical assessment because they are also signs of bacterial meningitis,” said Tammy Lundstrom, chief doctor and specialist in infectious diseases for Trinity Health in Michigan, previously told Fox News Digital.
Contaminated water consumption has no risk and infection does not spread from one person to another, added Lundstrom.
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Treatment generally includes a variety of antifungal drugs, as well as antibiotics such as rifampin and azithromycin, she said.
The amibe is the most active in the months when the water temperature is greater than 77 degrees Fahrenheit, according to officials. (istock)
No other case is suspected in the region, the health agency said in its press release.
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Fox News Digital contacted the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services for more information.
Melissa Rudy de Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
