Health officials: Brain-eating amoeba kills 21-year-old woman
Naegleria flowleri, a brain-eating amoeba is often found in fresh water and soil. People become infected when contaminated water enters the nose, likely while swimming or diving. The infectious amoeba then travels to the brain. (Photo: CDC)
LOS ANGELES -- A 21-year-old Bishop, Calif., woman who died after waking up from a nap was suffering from a brain-eating amoeba, public health officials said.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Inyo County Public Health officials believe the woman, whose name has not been released, contracted the infection on private property used by only friends and family.
Officials are working with the woman’s family and friends to investigate the source of her infection, Public Health Officer Richard Johnson said.
Tests by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were positive for Naegleria flowleri, a brain-eating amoeba often found in fresh water and soil.
People become infected when contaminated water enters the nose, likely while swimming or diving. The infectious amoeba then travels to the brain.
The woman woke up from a nap on June 16 with a headache. She felt nauseous and was vomiting. The symptoms didn’t go away, so she went to a local hspital and was diagnosed with meningitis.
But her health continued to deteriorate, so she was flown to a hospital in Reno, where she suffered a cardiac arrest and died.
Infected people usually experience headaches, fever, nausea, a stiff neck and vomiting. Death usually occurs three to seven days after the symptoms start.
Amoeba thrive when temperatures are high and water levels are low, health officials said.
Over the last 53 years, 133 cases have been reported in the U.S., with only three of the infected surviving. Most cases happened in Florida and Texas.
“I want to emphasize that there have been no evident cases of amoeba contamination in the U.S. in well-maintained, properly treated swimming pools or hot springs,” Johnson said.