A brain-eating amoeba killed a man from Florida, USA. The man died after being infected by this amoeba. He used water contaminated with Naegleria foleri as a sinus rinse. As a result, the amoeba in it may have reached the brain through the nose, officials of the Florida Health Department said.
First Published Mar 4, 2023, 4:30 PM IST
New Delhi: A man from Florida in America died of brain-eating amoeba infection. Tried rinsing his sinuses with tap water. Florida Department of Health officials revealed that the brain-eating amoeba in this water traveled to his brain while doing a sinus rinse. The Florida Department of Health has already issued a warning to residents about this brain-eating amoeba, Naegleria folleri.
Brain tissue-destroying microorganism Naegleria foleri amoeba rarely reaches the human brain, but if it does, it can be fatal, experts say.
Naegleria foleri is commonly found in hot water reservoirs, lakes and pools. It mostly enters the human body while cleaning the nose and sinuses with water containing the amoeba. It reaches the brain through the internal ducts from the nose. After that it starts eating the tissue there. Experts say this is rare.
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Symptoms of infection with this brain-eating amoeba include severe headache, fever, vomiting, slurred speech, and loss of stiffness in the neck.
However, drinking water containing brain-eating amoeba does not cause any problems, the health department said.
