Naegleria fowleri is a single-celled amoeba that lives in warm freshwater and can cause a rare brain infection called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). It enters the body through the nose and travels to the brain. Symptoms include headache, fever, vomiting and can lead to death within a week. The amoeba is found worldwide but cases are more common in southern US states during summer. Climate change may increase risks as temperatures rise. To prevent infection, people should avoid submerging their head or stirring sediment in warm freshwater.

1. History
Habitat
Symptoms and Causes Climate Change
Jackee Walker
Prevention
References
Naegleria
fowleri:
“The
Brain-­‐ea1ng
Ameba”
Naegleria
fowleri
is
a
fresh-­‐water,
free-­‐
living
parasi1c
ameba.
The
pathology
associated
with
the
“brain-­‐ea1ng
ameba”
was
first
discovered
in
1965
by
Fowler
and
Carter
in
an
Australian
man
(John,
1982).
Un1l
their
study
was
published,
it
had
been
assumed
that
free-­‐living
amoebas
were
non-­‐
pathogenic
(Heggie,
2010).
The
pathology
of
an
infec1on
is
serious,
and
only
3
of
the
133
people
infected
in
the
United
States
have
survived
(CDC,
2012).,
and
a
total
of
5%
worldwide
(Jonckheere,
2011).
This
parasite
is
what
is
known
as
a
thermophile,
meaning
it
is
an
extremophile
that
thrives
in
high
temperatures
(Heggie,
2010).
It
can
be
found
in
warm
fresh-­‐water
bodies.
Historically,
it
has
mostly
been
found
in
lower
la1tudes
(Kemble
et
al.,
2012).
The
warm
water
habitat
begins
to
pose
a
problem
when
it
affects
a
major
tourism
a[rac1on:
hot
springs.
A
study
done
in
Thailand
found
that
33.5%
of
Thai
hot
springs
had
a
presence
of
Naegleria
fowleri
(Heggie,
2010).
Once
N.
fowleri
enters
the
nasal
cavity,
it
ascends
the
olfactory
nerve
un1l
it
reaches
the
olfactory
bulbs
of
the
central
nervous
system,
and
causes
Primary
Ameobic
Meningoencehali1s
(PAM)
(Heggie,
2010).
Some
symptoms
of
infec1on
by
Naegleria
fowleri
include
frontal
or
bi-­‐temporal
headaches,
fever,
vomi1ng,
altera1on
in
taste/smell,
swelling
in
the
brain,
nose-­‐bleeds,
rapid
shallow
breathing,
confusion,
seizures,
coma,
and
death
can
be
expected
in
approximately
one
week.
These
symptoms
can
become
onset
5-­‐8
days
aaer
infec1on
(Heggie,
2010).
Figure
1.
Anatomy
of
the
human
nasal
cavity;
Figure
2.
Three
stages
of
N.
fowleri
(repeated
photo)
PAM
tends
to
be
more
common
in
southern
states
of
the
U.S.,
and
is
more
prevalent
during
the
summer
months
when
the
water
temperatures
are
high
and
water
levels
are
low
(CDC,
2015).
However,
in
2015
a
seven
year
old
boy
in
Minnesota
died
due
to
PAM
(Cope,
2015).
Scien1sts
found
that
this
had
been
the
third
ho[est
August
in
Minnesota
history,
and
temperature
had
been
rising
consistently
for
three
decades.
The
study
stated
that
climate
trends
can
add
to
the
prevalence
of
this
parasite
(Kemble
et
al.,
2012).
The
Center
for
Disease
Control
has
set
several
guidelines
for
preven1on
of
contrac1ng
N.
fowleri.
Sugges1ons
include
nose
clips,
avoiding
submerging
your
head
underwater,
avoiding
digging
in
or
s1rring
up
sediment
in
water,
using
dis1lled
or
sterile
water,
as
well
as
filtering
and
boiling
water,
especially
when
using
a
ne1
pot.
The
only
way
to
be
sure
that
preven1on
is
successful
is
by
avoiding
water-­‐oriented
ac1vi1es
in
warm
bodies
of
fresh
water,
especially
during
the
summer1me
(CDC,
2015)
.
Cope,
Jennifer
R.,
et
al.
"The
first
associa1on
of
a
primary
amebic
meningoencephali1s
death
with
culturable
Naegleria
fowleri
in
tap
water
from
a
US
treated
public
drinking
water
system."
Clinical
Infec7ous
Diseases
60.8
(2015):
e36-­‐e42.
Heggie,
Travis
W.
"Swimming
with
death:
Naegleria
fowleri
infec1ons
in
recrea1onal
waters."
Travel
Medicine
and
Infec7ous
Disease
8.4
(2010):
201-­‐206.
John,
David
T.
"Primary
amebic
meningoencephali1s
and
the
biology
of
Naegleria
fowleri."
Annual
Reviews
in
Microbiology
36.1
(1982):
101-­‐123.
Kemble,
Sarah
K.,
et
al.
"Fatal
Naegleria
fowleri
infec1on
acquired
in
Minnesota:
possible
expanded
range
of
a
deadly
thermophilic
organism."
Clinical
infec7ous
diseases
(2012):
cir961.
"Naegleria
Fowleri."
Encyclopedia
of
Parasitology
(n.d.):
861.
Web.
"The
Nasal
Cavity."
-­‐
Structure.
Oliver
Jones,
n.d.
Web.
18
Apr.
2016.
"Sources
of
Infec1on
&
Risk
Factors."
Centers
for
Disease
Control
and
Preven7on.
Centers
for
Disease
Control
and
Preven1on,
13
Apr.
2015.
Web.
18
Apr.
2016.