According to the CDC, this amoeba can be present in any river, lake or government-supplied water. When water enters the nose while bathing, the Naegleria fowleri amoeba also enters the brain through the nose.
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America In Nebraska, a boy had returned from the river after taking a bath. After some time his health started deteriorating and he was admitted to the hospital, but after about 10 days he died during treatment. According to the doctors, this boy while taking a bath in the river brain eating amoeba (brain-eating worm), which led to his death. The deceased was under 18 years of age and had a brain infection called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis.
According to the US Department of Health, an amoeba named Naegleria fowleri had reached the boy’s brain. This amoeba thrives in water and during bathing goes through the nose to the brain and starts eating the brain. Which leads to death.
How does the infection of this amoeba spread?
According to the CDC, this amoeba is present in any river, lake, wet soil and government-supplied water. When water enters the nose while bathing, the Naegleria fowleri amoeba also enters the brain through the nose. It is very small and cannot be seen without a microscope. Its diameter is from 0.2 to 0.5 mm. After reaching the brain, it slowly starts eating brain cells. Even the doctors treating it are not able to recognize it. There is no prescribed treatment for infection with this amoeba. The patient is treated only on the basis of symptoms, but death occurs due to the loss of brain cells.
Doctor Ajay Kumar explains that this amoeba is present in our environment, but its number is very less. Worldwide, cases of infection are very less, although the mortality rate is high and it becomes very difficult to save the life of the patient if infected. The replication of this amoeba can also be very fast and it mutates in a very short time and creates many copies of itself. If this amoeba is present in large numbers in the water of a river, pond or swimming pool, then it can infect many people at once.
Why is this amoeba born?
According to doctors, when the water sources i.e., canal, lake or any river water is not properly cleaned or maintained, then this amoeba starts growing there and can infect anyone who bathes in that water. If infected with this, there is a problem like headache, fever and vomiting and the patient dies within 5 to 10 days. However, its infection does not spread from one person to another.
how to avoid it
Do not let water get into your nose while bathing or swimming
If you are drinking tap water, use it only after boiling it.
Before sending small children to the swimming pool, check that its water is not dirty.
Regularly clean the water of any lake or pond and also add insecticides to it.
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