‘Brain-Eating Amoeba’: According to report, a man in his 50s died from an infection of Naegleria fowleri, also known as the “brain-eating amoeba,” after returning from Thailand, marking South Korea’s first case of the deadly disease.
According to a report in the News Outlet, a Korean national died after returning from Thailand, citing the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The man was there for four months before returning to Korea two weeks ago on December 10.’
1. South Korea has reported its first death from Naegleria fowleri, commonly known as “brain-eating amoeba”.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency says the patient, who was in his 50s, had entered South Korea on Dec 10, after a four-month stay in Thailand. pic.twitter.com/xkWkXxeDPP
— BFM News (@NewsBFM) December 27, 2022
On the evening of his arrival, the patient began to exhibit symptoms of meningitis, such as headaches, fever, vomiting, slurred speech, and stiffness of the neck, and was transferred to an emergency room the next day.
He was admitted to the hospital the next day and died on December 21.
Also Read: Covid Update India: Govt school teachers to be stationed at Delhi airport on Covid-duty
According to the Korean health agency, the cause of his death was determined through genetic testing on three different infections caused by Naegleria fowleri. The man’s body contained a gene that was 99.6% identical to one discovered in a meningitis patient who had been reported abroad, according to testing.
What is Naegleria fowleri , Brain-Eating Amoeba?
This is the first case of the disease in South Korea. Although the KDCA has not determined the exact method of transmission, it has stated that swimming in contaminated water and nasal rinsing with infected water are the two main sources of infection.
In 1937, the first case of Naegleria fowleri was reported in Virginia, United States.
It is known colloquially as the “brain-eating amoeba” because it can cause a brain infection when water containing the amoeba enters the nose. Each year, only about three people in the United States become infected, but these infections are usually fatal.
Naegleria fowleri is a single-celled ameba that lives in soil and warm fresh water, such as lakes, rivers, and hot springs. It is known colloquially as the “brain-eating ameba” because it can cause a brain infection when water containing the ameba enters the nose. Each year, only about three people in the United States become infected, but these infections are usually fatal.
Headache, fever, nausea, and vomiting are all possible symptoms. Seizures, hallucinations, and coma are common later symptoms. After symptoms appear, the disease progresses quickly and usually kills within 5 days (but death can happen within 1 to 18 days).
When water containing the ameba enters the body through the nose, it infects people. This usually occurs when people go swimming, diving, or submerge their heads in fresh water, such as lakes and rivers. The ameba then travels up the nose to the brain, where it destroys brain tissue and causes primary amebic meningoencephalitis, a deadly infection (PAM). PAM is nearly always fatal.
