The Brain-eating Amoeba: Naegleria fowleri

South Korea reported its first case of infection from Naegleria fowleri or “brain-eating amoeba”.

Amoeba is a type of cell or unicellular organism that can change shape by extending and retracting pseudopods.
Naegleria is a single-celled organism that is an amoeba, and only one of its species, Naegleria fowleri, can infect humans.
It was discovered in 1965 in Australia and is commonly found in warm freshwater bodies such as hot springs, rivers, and lakes.
Naegleria fowleri has been identified as the cause of PAM in over 16 countries, including India, and has been found on all continents.

The amoeba enters the human body through the nose and proceeds to the brain.
This usually occurs when someone goes for a swim, dives, or even dips their head in a freshwater body.
In some cases, people became infected after cleaning their nostrils with contaminated water, vapor, or aerosol droplets.
When Naegleria fowleri enters the brain, it destroys brain tissues and causes primary amebic meningoencephalitis, a potentially fatal infection (PAM).

According to the CDC, the first signs of PAM appear one to twelve days after infection.
In the early stages, they may resemble meningitis symptoms such as headache, nausea, and fever.
A stiff neck, seizures, hallucinations, and even coma can occur in the later stages.
The infection spreads quickly and, on average, kills within five days.

Because the amoeba thrives in warm freshwater bodies, the chances of contracting Naegleria fowleri infection will increase as global temperatures rise.
The organism grows best at temperatures of up to 46°C and can sometimes survive at even higher temperatures.
Several recent studies have discovered that high levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide have caused an increase in the temperature of lakes and rivers.
These conditions are more conducive to the growth of the amoeba.

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/naegleria/general.html