Naegleria fowleri is a “tiny single-celled free-living amoeba that can cause a rare life-threatening brain infection called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM),” the agency said. “PAM is extremely rare. Since 1962, only 154 known cases have been identified in the United States,” the release said. Naegleria fowleri is commonly found in the soil and in fresh warm water, such as lakes, rivers and hot springs, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It can also be found in poorly maintained or unchlorinated swimming pools. Infections caused by Naegleria fowleri can occur when water containing the amoeba enters the body through a person’s nose and then travels to the brain where it destroys brain tissue, the health department said. The infection is not contagious and cannot be caused by ingesting contaminated water. The health department is working with the CDC to test the lake water and “confirm the presence of Naegleria fowleri,” which will take several days, the release said. No other suspected cases are currently being investigated in Missouri or Iowa, the agency said. Although rare, PAM is “devastating” and “usually fatal,” according to the CDC. “Among well-documented cases, there are only five known survivors in North America,” the CDC said. In September 2021, a child in North Texas died after contracting the rare brain-eating amoeba in a city launch pad. In 2020, a 6-year-old boy in Lake Jackson, Texas, died after being exposed to the amoeba found in the fountain water where he was playing. A 10-year-old Texas girl died in 2019 after battling a brain-eating amoeba for more than a week. Symptoms begin with severe headaches, fever, nausea and vomiting before escalating to seizures, hallucinations and coma, according to the CDC. It takes about five days after infection for the initial symptoms of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis to appear, according to the CDC. The disease progresses rapidly and usually causes death between one and 18 days after the onset of symptoms. To reduce the risk of infection, the health department advises swimmers to limit the amount of water that goes up their noses by holding their noses closed or using nose clips, keeping their heads above water and avoiding being in the water when temperatures are very high.
