Facts about Naegleria fowleri and primary amebic meningoencephalitis

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (U.S.), Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases.
• Description:
  Naegleria fowleri infections are rare and devastating. From 2005 to 2014, 35 infections were reported in the U.S. All but two were fatal.
  
  • Naegleria fowleri is a warm water-loving ameba found around the world, often in warm or hot freshwater (lakes, rivers, and hot springs).
  
  • Naegleria fowleri ameba can travel up the nose and into the brain. This causes the disease primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), which destroys brain tissue and causes brain swelling and death.
  
  • Of 133 people known to be infected in the U.S. since 1962, only three people survived.
  
  CS254858_A
  
  naegleria_factsheet508c.pdf
  
  
• Subjects:
  Amebiasis/Prevention & Control Central Nervous System Protozoal Infections/Prevention & Control Naegleria Fowleri
• Document Type:
  Pamphlet (or booklet)
• Genre:
  Fact Sheet
• Pages in Document:
  2 unnumbered pages
• Collection(s):
  Stephen B. Thacker CDC Library
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:d8fc6ef775dcb0b6bc2d2aa5f9a623ad80e22ced79a262057cc65acf57701a7e
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/35709/cdc_35709_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 371.47 KB ]