The Florida Department of Health announced that a brain-eating amoeba has been spotted in the bodies of water near Tampa and other cities.
The Hillsborough County sector of the health department announced on Friday that a patient was found to have contracted the Naegleria fowleri, an amoeba that can lead to a fatal brain infection called primary amebic meningoencephalitis.
The department noted that the amoeba is found in warm, fresh bodies of water, including ponds, lakes, and rivers, with the peak months of infection being in July, August, and September. The amoeba often infects a person by entering the body through the nose. The amoeba then “destroys brain tissue and is usually fatal.”
One person contracted Naegleria fowleri in Hillsborough County. Naegleria fowleri is a microscopic single-celled living amoeba. The amoeba can cause a rare infection of the brain called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) that destroys brain tissue and is usually fatal. pic.twitter.com/icT66tqlkU
— DOH – Hillsborough (@DOHHillsborough) July 3, 2020
Since 1962, only 37 people have contracted the amoeba in Florida, and the department does not know why so few people get infected compared to the “millions of other people that use the same or similar waters.” In the United States, 143 people have contracted this type of amoeba. Only four people have survived the infection.
The Florida Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that people avoid having nasal contact with the water or use a nose clip if they are swimming in the area. They also advised people to avoid swimming in areas shallow, warm, fresh water and to avoid digging in the sediments of such bodies of water. The infection can spread quickly, so the department advised that people seek medical attention if they feel nauseous, spike a fever, become disorientated, or have hallucinations.
“Remember, this disease is rare and effective prevention strategies can allow for a safe and relaxing summer swim season,” the department wrote.
