The Missouri Department of Health has announced a human infection of a rare 'brain-eating' amoeba.
Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) is an infection caused by the amoeba Naegleria Fowleri. The infection is not contagious, the health department said, but it can be life-threatening. This is the first case in Missouri since 1987, and there have only been 154 known cases in the U.S. since 1962.
The Missouri Department of Health reports that the amoeba is found most commonly in fresh water, including lakes, rivers and ponds. People can get infected when water containing the amoeba enters through the nose, where it travels to the brain and destroys tissue. The infection cannot be contracted by swallowing water.
The infected patient is in intensive care, and Iowa's Health Department has closed a lake at Three Fires State Park because that's where the Missouri resident was swimming. However, they say they're still looking to confirm that lake as the source.
To reduce risk when swimming in freshwater, the health department recommends using nose clips, keeping your head above water, avoiding activity during periods of high water temperatures, and to avoid digging sediment.