Naegleria, a Brain-Eating Amoeba, Spreads Further in the United States

Naegleria, or Naegleria fowleri, is a brain-eating amoeba that flourishes in warm and fresh water, usually in lakes and rivers. However, it can also be spotted in splash pads that are public, as noted by the Insider. This creature may lead to a brain infection called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) when nasally ingested.

Just this 2022, infections of this lethal brain-eating amoeba have been documented across various states that had not seen the pathogen in the past.

Naegleria Infection Count

An average of three PAM infections are documented annually in the United States. In most cases, these infections are fatal.

Yahoo News reports that just this 2022, at least three individuals have passed due to infections caused by Naegleria. While according to Insider's count, there were at least four infections this year.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have kept statistics and records about Naegleria over the years. However, their 2022 statistics have not yet been released.

As the temperatures rise and become warmer, health officials can document this pathogen's spread towards the north.

ALSO READ: Naegleriasis: Brain-Eating Amoeba Called 'Naegleria' Causes 13-Year-Old Teen to Fight For His Life

Some Cases of the Brain-Eating Amoeba Across United States

A Teenage Boy From Florida

One of the documented cases is from Florida, where an adolescent is still on his way to recovery after getting infected last July.

The other three who got infected are from the north. All of them reportedly passed briefly after they got infected and exhibited the symptoms.

Florida has the most documented reports of PAM infections, only second to Texas. Such states should be primed and prepared to handy any brain infection, such as in a PAM case.

A Resident of Missouri

Other than that, the first documented report of the season was in Iowa. A Missouri resident succumbed to PAM last July after swimming in a lake in Iowa. Testing of the lake, the Lake of Three Fires, was later performed. The findings of the test showed that Naegleria was indeed present in this body of water stationed in southwestern Iowa.

In the past, Iowa officials did not detect this pathogen's presence. However, it is possible that the amoeba was already present in previous years.

This pathogen only leads to brain infection when it enters the person nasally. This gives the pathogen direct access to the person's brain.

A Child From Nebraska

The first recorded Naegleria-related death in Nebraska was last August. A child succumbed to the said brain infection that was progressing fastly. Before this instance, Nebraska had no reports of PAM infections.

The child got infected after a swim in the Elkhorn River. Officials noted later on that the brain-eating amoeba had indeed infected the child.

Eight Infections in Arizona Since 1962

Naegleria's presence in Arizona can be traced back to 1962. However, just this year, a resident from Nevada succumbed after probable exposure to waters in Arizona. Based on a Yahoo News report, the body swam through the waters in early October and exhibited symptoms a week after.

In most cases, infections were reported in June or July. With this case from Arizona, there is a possibility that the pathogen's timeline is also changing as it expands its territory.