US Naegleria fowleri 2012 - 3rd fatality confirmed

[Ronan Kelly]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 18, 2012

Child dies from rare brain infection

COLUMBIA, S.C. ? Lab tests have confirmed that a Sumter County boy has died from a rare infection of the brain, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control announced today.

?We are saddened to learn that this child was exposed to the deadly organism Naegleria fowleri,? said Catherine Templeton, DHEC director. ?While this organism is present in many warm water lakes, rivers and streams in the South, infection in humans is extremely rare. Naegleria fowleri almost always results in death.?

Kathleen Antonetti, M.D. and DHEC medical epidemiologist, said that people should seek immediate medical attention after swimming in fresh water if they experience headache, nausea, vomiting, high fever and neck stiffness. Its severity increases very quickly, resulting in death within 1 to 12 days. It cannot be spread from person to person. Although the Naegleria fowleri ameba is widespread in warm waters, illness occurs only under certain circumstances.

?Water must be forced up the nose, through the nasal passages, so that the ameba is able to travel up to the brain and destroy tissue,? Dr. Antonetti said. ?People should avoid swimming or jumping into bodies of fresh water when the water is warm and the water levels are low. You cannot be infected by merely drinking water containing the ameba. These infections are so rare, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention documented only 32 cases in this country from 2001 to 2010.?

According to the CDC, Naegleria fowleri is found around the world. In the United States, the majority of infections have been caused by exposure in freshwater located in southern states. Typically, the ameba can be found in:

Bodies of warm freshwater, such as lakes and rivers
Geothermal (naturally hot) water, such as hot springs
Warm water discharge from industrial plants
Geothermal (naturally hot) drinking water sources
Soil
Swimming pools that are poorly maintained, with either low levels of chlorine or unchlorinated
Water heaters with temperatures less than 116?F.
Naegleria fowleri is not found in salt water, like the ocean. For more information about Naegleria fowleri, visithttp://www.cdc.gov/parasites/naegleria/faqs.html.

###

Note to broadcast editors:
Naegleria fowleri pronounced: Neh-GLARE-ee-ah FOW-luhr-eye

For media inquiries:
Jim Beasley ? (803) 898-7769
Email ? beaslejc@dhec.sc.gov

http://www.scdhec.gov/administration/news/2012/nr20120718-01.htm

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: South Carolina: Child dies from Naegleria fowleri infection

Last year's thread - 5 fatalities reported http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/sho...d.php?p=421363

[Treyfish]

Re: South Carolina: Child dies from Naegleria fowleri infection

<TABLE style="veritcal-align: :top" class="ap-story-table hnews hentry item" border=0><TBODY><TR class=ap-story-tr><TD class=ap-story-td>South Carolina boy killed by rare brain infection
By MEG KINNARD
Associated Press

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--></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- /HtmlFragment: 4808 --><!-- /Package: 921361 --></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- /MediaBox: 205229051 --><!-- /Story-MediuaBoxPosition: 2 --><!-- Story-MediaBoxPosition: 3 empty --><!-- Story-MediaBoxPosition: 4 empty --> COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- A South Carolina boy has died from a rare brain infection caused by an organism that lives in warm, fresh water, according to state health officials.
The Sumter County boy, whom the Department of Health and Environmental Control did not identify, was killed Tuesday by an amoeba known as Naegleria fowleri (neh-GLARE-ee-ah FOW-luhr-eye).
Deaths caused by the organism, which lives in lakes, rivers and hot springs, are extremely rare. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were only 32 documented cases of this kind of infection between 2001 and 2010...http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...07-19-16-26-41

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: South Carolina: Child dies from Naegleria fowleri infection

Oklahoma youth dies of water-borne disease


Posted: Jul 31, 2012 11:14 PM EDT
Updated: Jul 31, 2012 11:14 PM EDT
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The Oklahoma Department of Health says a Bryan County youngster has died after being hospitalized with a rare disease caused by an amoeba that is present in lakes, ponds and rivers.

Officials said Tuesday the youth exhibited symptoms of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, which occurs after being infected by Maegleria fowleri. They say the youth had been swimming and diving in the Red River last week.
...

http://www.koamtv.com/story/19163537/oklahoma-youth-dies-of-water-borne-disease

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: South Carolina: Child dies from Naegleria fowleri infection

For Release: July 31, 2012

Contact: Leslea Bennett-Webb
Office of Communications
(405) 271-5601; (405)684-3920

Case of Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis Reported

Health Officials Stress Caution When Swimming in Natural Bodies of Water

The Oklahoma State Department of Health announced today that a Bryan County youngster has died after being hospitalized with PAM (Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis) symptoms following swimming and diving in the Red River last week.

PAM is an extremely rare and usually deadly disease caused by infection with a single-celled organism (ameba), Naegleria fowleri. These disease-causing organisms are naturally present in most lakes, ponds, and rivers but multiply rapidly in very warm and stagnant water. Persons may be exposed to Naegleria fowleri ameba when they dive or submerge their head in contaminated water. The ameba then travels up the nose to the brain where it destroys the brain tissue.

?As the heat and drought conditions intensify in Oklahoma, the risk of certain waterborne illnesses also increases,? said State Epidemiologist Dr. Kristy Bradley.

Symptoms of PAM initially include: high fever, headache, nausea, and vomiting. Later, symptoms may include stiff neck, seizures, hallucinations, and coma. PAM cannot be spread from person-to-person. Most occurrences of PAM occur in the southern states. Since 1998, six deaths due to PAM have occurred among Oklahomans.

Health officials encourage Oklahomans to observe these water safety tips to avoid illness while swimming in lakes, rivers and other natural bodies of water:

Avoid water entering nose or mouth when swimming, jumping, diving, or dunking your head into bodies of fresh warm water.
Hold your nose or use nose plugs when jumping or diving into water.
Never swim in stagnant or polluted water.
Do not swim in areas posted as "No Swimming".
Avoid swallowing water from rivers, lakes, streams, or stock ponds.
Use earplugs, swim goggles, or masks if you tend to get ear or eye infections.
Swim only in properly maintained pools, because chlorine rapidly kills the ameba.
In addition, like last summer, blue-green algae continue to be present in some Oklahoma lakes. Blue-green algae can produce toxins that result in illness in humans and animals. Direct contact with water that has a blue-green algae bloom can result in a skin rash; eye, ear and throat irritation; asthma-like symptoms; and diarrhea, vomiting, or abdominal cramps. Individuals are advised to avoid swimming or other recreational water activities where mats of algae appear on the water.

For more information, visit:

http://www.ok.gov/health/Disease,_Pr...ephalitis.html.

http://www.ok.gov/health/Organization/Office_of_Communications/News_Releases/2012_News_Releases/Case_of_Primary_Amebic_Meningoencephalitis_Reported.html

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: US Naegleria fowleri 2012 - 2nd fatality reported

News Release
August 7, 2012
Contact information

Health officials investigate death due to suspected amebic infection

The Minnesota Department of Health is investigating the death of an elementary school aged child due to suspected primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a very rare form of meningitis caused by an amoeba associated with warm freshwater. Confirmation will be made with the assistance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The organism is known as Naegleria fowleri, an amoeba commonly found in warm freshwater and soil. It causes a very rare but severe brain infection and is nearly always fatal. The organism infects people by entering the body through the nose. Generally, this occurs when people use warm freshwater for activities such as swimming and diving.

Infections are very rare, even though Naegleria is commonly found in freshwater all over the world. While it can occur anywhere, infection with Naegleria usually occurs in warm southern states in the United States. Forty cases were reported in the United States from 2001 through 2011. The only previously confirmed case of this infection in Minnesota was reported in August of 2010.

Health officials acknowledged that the child had gone swimming at multiple locations in Washington County in the 2 weeks prior to illness onset, including Lily Lake in Stillwater. The previous Minnesota case?s likely source of infection was Lily Lake; Lily Lake has been closed to swimming until further notice.

?The risk of infection from Naegleria in Minnesota is very low," said Richard Danila, Assistant State Epidemiologist. ?Swimming is a very healthy summertime activity and we do not want to discourage people from swimming. Rather, simply avoid swimming, diving or other activities in obviously stagnant water when temperatures are high and water levels are low,? Danila said.

Some additional precautions you can take while swimming during extremely warm periods include keeping your head out of the water, using nose clips or holding the nose shut, and avoid stirring up sediment at the bottom of shallow freshwater areas.

More information about Naegleria fowleri is available on the MDH website http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/i...ria/index.html.

-MDH-

For more information, contact:

Doug Schultz
MDH Communications
651-201-4993

Richard Danila
Assistant State Epidemiologist
651-201-5414

http://www.health.state.mn.us/news/pressrel/2012/pam080712.html

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: US Naegleria fowleri 2012 - 3rd fatality under investigation

News Advisory
August 13, 2012
Contact information

CDC confirms cause of suspected amebic infection


The type of ameba known as Naegleria fowleri has been confirmed as the cause of the rare illness that claimed the life of a Minnesota child earlier this month.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted confirmatory clinical testing for the organism, and reported the results this afternoon to the Minnesota Department of Health.

MDH officials said the cause of the illness had been 99 percent certain before, but the CDC test results made it 100 percent certain. They said it will never be possible to know for sure where the child was infected, but the timing of the illness and other factors point to Lily Lake in Washington County.

-MDH-

For more information, contact:

Buddy Ferguson
MDH Communications
651-201-4997

http://www.health.state.mn.us/news/pressrel/2012/pam081312.html

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: US Naegleria fowleri 2012 - 3rd fatality confirmed

Posted: Sun 9:10 PM, Aug 19, 2012A A
Updated: Sun 10:50 PM, Aug 19, 2012Back to News
Deadly amoeba thriving in heat and drought conditions

BRYAN COUNTY & GRAYSON COUNTY-- The Oklahoma heat and drought conditions allow for a deadly amoeba to thrive.

State health officials say the mixture creates the ideal conditions for the growth of a tiny, single-cell organism that lives in Oklahoma's rivers, lakes and ponds.

They say the amoeba can cause a disease that is almost always fatal.
...

http://www.kxii.com/news/headlines/Deadly-amoeba-thriving-in-heat-and-drought-conditions-166716376.html

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: US Naegleria fowleri 2012 - 3rd fatality confirmed

Brain-eating amoeba suspected in Southwest Indiana death
7:31 PM, Sep 4, 2012
Written by
Ken Kusmer
Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS ? A parasite commonly referred to as the ?brain-eating amoeba? infected a man teaching his daughter to swim in a southwestern Indiana lake, killing him within weeks, his father said Tuesday.

State and federal officials have not yet confirmed that Waylon Abel, 30, of Loogootee, died of a rare, usually fatal infection known as primary amebic meningoencephalitis, or PAM, but an autopsy report released Friday listed it as the primary cause of death.

...

http://www.courier-journal.com/viewart/20120904/NEWS02/309040092/Brain-eating-amoeba-suspected-Southwest-Indiana-death?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CHome

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: US Naegleria fowleri 2012 - 3rd fatality confirmed

h/t ironorehopper

CDC confirms brain-eating amoeba in SW Indiana death


Posted: Sep 11, 2012 6:26 PM EDT
Updated: Sep 11, 2012 6:30 PM EDT


INDIANAPOLIS -
Tests confirm a parasite known as the "brain-eating amoeba" caused the death of a southwestern Indiana man.

An Indiana State Department of Health spokeswoman said Tuesday that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed primary amebic Meningoencephalitis caused the death.

Privacy laws prevented her from identifying the man, but an autopsy report had identified the disease as the primary cause of death of 30-year-old Waylon Abel of Loogootee.
...

http://www.wthr.com/story/19517244/cdc-confirms-brain-eating-amoeba-in-sw-indiana-death#.UFArQhzf7dM.twitter