Brain Disease: Horror Lurking in Lake Water

In part one of this series on recreational water illnesses you discovered some of the horrors that may be lurking in your swimming pool. Those nasty little critters that could cause intestinal upset or kill.

What about lakes? They are all natural. Just when you thought it was safe to swim in the lake waters in the United States you discover-a brain destroying parasite that devour brain tissue and kill.

Naegleria Fowleri

Naegleria Fowleri is a deadly parasitic amoeba that causes a severe brain infection. This single cell critter lurks in warm water in the southern United States. Besides lake water, it can also be found in rivers, hot springs and even non-chlorinated swimming pools.

When swimmers get water up their nose, this little bugger can travel up to the brain and spinal cord. Once there it begins to destroy tissue. Amazingly enough, if you were to drink water containing this parasite it would not harm you.

Swimmers are at most risk for contracting this deadly illness in the not summer months of July and August. This is especially likely when water levels are low and temperatures are high.

An infection from Naegleria Fowleri begins 1 to 14 days after initial exposure. It resembles meningitis in presentation and is called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). Symptoms include headache, stiff neck, fever and vomiting. As this condition worsens the following may be seen:

• Loss of balance/coordination

• Confusion

• Hallucinations

• Seizures

The disease will progress if not caught early enough. DEATH usually occurs. In very rare instances, anti-parasitic drugs are effective.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The Center for Disease Control recommends that swimmers avoid swimming in:

• Warm water

• Hot springs

• Thermally polluted water (i.e. water surrounding power plants)

Recreational water users should wearing nose plugs when there is a risk of getting water up the nose when engaging in water activities. People should avoid freshwater activities when there high temperatures (above 80 F) predominate and water levels are low. There is increased risk if the sediment at the bottom of the fresh water body is stirred up.

Infection from Naegleria Fowleri is relatively rare. There have been 33 cases reported in 10 years; however, other cases may have been missed due to this little known parasite. In 2007, in Arizona, Florida and Texas, six patients contracted the disease and died. One child died of this illness in Georgia in 2002. With the world's water temperatures on the rise, there is concern that there may be an increase in disease seen from this parasite.

Sources:

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/300/2/16