A Georgia resident has died of Naegleria fowleri after likely becoming infected while swimming in a freshwater lake or pond, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.
Naegleria fowleri is commonly referred to as the “brain-eating amoeba” because it destroys brain tissue, causing brain swelling and usually death, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.
On rare occasions, it can cause Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM), a brain infection that is uncommon but lethal.
Prior to this case, there have been five other cases of Naegleria fowleri reported in Georgia since 1962.
The Georgia Department of Public Health did not disclose the identity of the person who died or where they may have been infected.
As per the Places for Infectious prevention and Counteraction, Naegleria fowleri is a solitary celled creature found in caution freshwater and soil.
Most contaminations have come from swimming in freshwater bodies, like lakes, waterways or natural aquifers. Seldom, diseases happened from pools or water parks with inadequate chlorine levels.
A majority of cases since 1962 have occurred in the South, primarily in Texas and Florida.
It enters the body when water gets in through the nose. It cannot infect people if swallowed and is not spread from person to person.
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