Rare brain-eating infection found in Missouri patient; here’s how to protect yourself

The Missouri Health Department announced Friday the discovery of a rare but life-threatening brain-eating infection in one Missouri resident.

Called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), the infection is caused by a microscopic single-celled free-living ameba found in warm freshwater called Naegleria fowleri.

The Missouri patient is currently being treated for PAM in an intensive care unit of a hospital.

The ameba is commonly found in warm freshwater such as lakes, rivers, and ponds; however, PAM is extremely rare. Since 1962, only 154 known cases have been identified in the United States. The only other case identified among a Missouri resident occurred in 1987, and currently, no additional suspected cases of PAM are being investigated in Missouri.

The Iowa Department of Public Health announced later where the infection is believed to have happened. The beach at Lake of Three Fires in Taylor County will be closed temporarily for swimming.

“The closure is a precautionary response to a confirmed infection of Naegleria fowleri in a Missouri resident with recent potential exposure while swimming at the beach at Lake of Three Fires State Park,” the department said in a press release.

“Testing to confirm the presence of Naegleria fowleri in Lake of Three Fires is being conducted in conjunction with the CDC and could take several days to complete. The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services is working closely with the Department of Natural Resources to share information about this rare infection and will provide additional updates as test results become available.”

Recreational water users should assume that Naegleria fowleri is present in warm freshwater across the United States; however, infection remains rare.

Although a rare occurrence, people become infected by Naegleria fowleri when water containing the ameba enters the body through the nose from freshwater sources. The Naegleria fowleri ameba then travels up the nose to the brain where it destroys the brain tissue. This infection cannot be spread from one person to another, and it cannot be contracted by swallowing contaminated water.

“These situations are extremely rare in the United States and in Missouri specifically, but it’s important for people to know that the infection is a possibility so they can seek medical care in a timely manner if related symptoms present,” said Dr. George Turabelidze, Missouri’s state epidemiologist.

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