Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis causes
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Naegleria fowleri is the causative agent for primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, which is normally found in the natural environment and is well adapted to surviving in various habitats, particularly warm-water environments.
Causes
Naegleria fowleri is commonly referred to as an amoeba but is actually a unicellular parasite that is ubiquitous in soils and warm waters. Infection typically occurs during the summer months and patients typically have a history of exposure to a natural body of water. The organism specifically prefers temperatures above 32 °C, as might be found in a tropical climate or in water heated by geothermal activity.[1] The organism is extremely sensitive to chlorine (<0.5 ppm). Exposure to the organism is extremely common due to its wide distribution in nature, but thus far lacks the ability to infect the body through any method other than direct contact with the olfactory nerve, which is exposed only at the extreme vertical terminus of the paranasal sinuses; the contaminated water must be deeply insufflated into the sinus cavities for transmission to occur.
References
- ↑ "Geothermal activity". Retrieved 9 January 2008. [dead link]