A swimmer has died after catching a deadly brain-eating amoeba while swimming in an Iowa lake.
The state Department of Health confirmed that the unnamed Missouri man died from the infection about a week after he was admitted to intensive care.
They are believed to have been infected in Lake Three Fires in southwestern Hawkeye state, which is closed to swimmers while being tested for the microorganism.
The amoeba – scientifically called Naegleria fowleri – enters the body when water is sucked in through the nose, usually while swimming.
It then spreads to the brain where it destroys the tissue and causes hallucinations and seizures in the later stages of the infection. About 97 percent of patients die.
The swimmer is said to have caught amoeba near the Three Fires Lakes in Iowa (pictured). It is named after an indigenous tribe living in the area. The lake is currently closed to swimmers during testing (archive photo)
The Missouri Department of Health announced that the patient was hospitalized with the infection on July 6, about two weeks after bathing.
Eight days later, they said the person died from primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a rare and often fatal brain infection.
No further details about the patient have been released due to concerns about their identity being revealed as the disease is so rare.
“As these cases are incredibly rare and it is disrespectful to the family, we do not plan to release any additional information about the patient that could lead to the identification of the individual,” officials said in a statement.
The amoeba that causes death can be found in soil and fresh water all over the world.
But it’s only in the summer, when lakes warm up, that it usually poses a risk above 115 F (46 C).
The disease is very rare, with only 148 cases reported in the United States since the 1960s.
However, only four of them survived.
Most of all cases were associated with swimming in warm water in southern states such as Florida and Texas.
Infected people initially experience symptoms such as headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, and stiff neck.
But in later stages these can develop into seizures, hallucinations and an altered mental state.
Health officials say patients cannot transmit the disease to others.
The CDC says several drugs have been used to treat patients, but few have ever recovered from the disease.
Officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are currently testing the water of Lake Three Fires, named after an indigenous tribe, to determine if the amoeba is present.
Results are expected in the coming days.
Source: Daily Mail
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