Boy dies from ‘brain-eating amoeba’ in Va.
Virginia health officials say a child has died of a brain infection from a microscopic bug, sometimes called a “brain-eating amoeba,” that lives in stagnant water.
CDC/ Dr. Govinda S. Visvesvara
Amebic meningoencephalitis due to Naegleria fowleri.
State health officials say a Virginian has been diagnosed with a rare infection associated with a type of amoeba known as Naegleria fowleri that lives in stagnant water.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that it’s sometimes called “brain-eating amoeba” because it travels up the nose and destroys brain tissue, almost always causing meningitis.
"Sadly, we have had a Naegleria infection in Virginia this summer," Dr. Keri Hall, state epidemiologist at the Virginia Department of Health, said in statement. "It's important that people be aware of… safe swimming messages.”
In a health advisory issued Saturday, state health officials said the amoeba proliferates in stagnant freshwater lakes, ponds, streams and rivers when temperatures climb into the 80s. They say people should take safety precautions when swimming, including showering with soap before and after and being careful not to swallow pool, lake or river water
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/08/15/virginia-health-officials-report-case-brain-eating-amoeba/#ixzz1VE00PV2S
