A swimmer at Lake of Three Fires in Iowa was infected with Naegleria fowleri, a brain-eating amoeba that usually causes death in those infected, the Iowa Department of Public Health said in a statement.
The news: The beach at Lake of Three Fires in Taylor County, Iowa, will be closed for public safety while the state does testing to determine if the water contains the life-threatening amoeba.
- More details of this specific case have not yet been released, according to NPR. The infected individual was a resident of Missouri visiting Iowa.
About the amoeba: Naegleria fowleri is an amoeba typically found in warm freshwater such as lakes, rivers, hot springs or poorly-chlorinated swimming pools, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Naegleria fowleri can only enter the body through the nose, not from swallowing water, CNN reported.
- The amoeba causes primary amebic meningoencephalitis, an extremely rare and dangerous disease, according to NPR.
What are the symptoms of a Naegleria fowleri infection? Symptoms begin about five days after exposure to Naegleria fowleri, the CDC says.
- Symptoms include: fever, nausea, headaches, stiff neck, confusion, lack of attention to surroundings, seizures, hallucinations and loss of balance.
- The CDC states that death usually occurs within about five days of infection, or within a range of one to 18 days.
How common is Naegleria fowleri? This amoeba is rare. Only 154 people have been infected with it in the United States since 1962, according to the CDC.
What is the survival rate? After infection with Naegleria fowleri, survival rate is low.
- The fatality rate of this amoeba is 97%. Out of the 154 known cases in the U.S., only four people have survived, the CDC reported.
What precautions can be taken? The Iowa Department of Public Health outlines recommendations to stay safe from Naegleria fowleri when swimming in freshwater in warm weather.
- Hold your nose or use nose clips when entering a body of warm freshwater.
- Avoid warm freshwater when there is a high water temperature.
- Avoid digging up dirt in warm and shallow freshwater.