He had bathed in a lake: an American died of a “brain-eating” amoeba

After spending days in intensive care, a man contracted a “brain-eating” amoeba while swimming in a lake in southwestern Iowa’s Taylor County and died in early July.

This Missouri native died of an infection of the central nervous system caused by an amoeba (primary amoebic meningoencephalitis). Nagleria foleri*detected in water.

“She can attach herself and crawl through your olfactory nerve.”

The Missouri Department of Health, where he died, has withheld further information about the victim out of respect for his family’s privacy.

“Imagine you’re jumping into a lake, there’s water in your nose, and if this amoeba is in that water, it attaches itself and crawls through your olfactory nerve and enters your brain.“, explains Mike Pendella, an epidemiologist at the University of Iowa quoted Radio Iowa.

155^e Sufferer in 60 years

Fatal infections from such parasites are rare in the United States. The death toll is 155^e Only four victims since 1962 have survived.

The site, which has been closed to the public since the contamination was confirmed on July 6, reopened to the public on Thursday. Signs have been installed notifying the presence of killer amoeba in the water. Swimming is allowed subject to certain guidelines.