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# What is Naegleria fowleri or ‘Brain-Eating Amoeba’?
- URL: https://www.upscprep.com/what-is-naegleria-fowleri-or-brain-eating-amoeba/
- Published: 2024-05-27T15:42:55.000Z
- Updated: 2024-05-27T15:42:55.000Z
- Description: GS3 | Science & Technology
- Author: UPSCprep.com
- Tags: S&T, UPSC Prelims, Current Affairs, #show-toc

### **Introduction**

**Primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM)** is a rare and deadly brain infection caused by **Naegleria fowleri**, commonly known as the "brain-eating amoeba." 

> This single-celled organism led to the tragic death of a five-year-old girl in Kozhikode, Kerala.

![Naegleria fowleri |  Brain-eating Amoeba  | UPSC](https://microbeonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Naegleria-fowleri.jpg)

### **What is PAM?** 

- PAM is an acute brain infection caused by Naegleria fowleri, a free-living amoeba found in warm freshwater and soil.
- It infects individuals when contaminated water enters the nose, travels to the brain, and destroys brain tissue, causing severe swelling.

![Naegleria fowleri - Brain-eating Amoeba | UPSC ](https://d18x2uyjeekruj.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/amoeba.jpg)

### **Where is Naegleria fowleri Found?**

- Warm freshwater bodies: lakes, rivers, hot springs.
- Poorly maintained swimming pools, splash pads, surf parks.
- Survives in water temperatures up to 115°F (46°C).

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### **How Does Naegleria fowleri Infect People?**

- Enters the body through the nose, typically during swimming.
- Travels to the brain, causing tissue destruction and inflammation.
- Not spread by drinking contaminated water or from person to person.

![Naegleria fowleri | What is Naegleria Fowleri? | UPSC |  Brain-eating Amoeba ](https://www.frontiersin.org/files/Articles/1266400/fpubh-11-1266400-HTML/image_m/fpubh-11-1266400-g002.jpg)

### **Symptoms** 

Initial Symptoms of Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis include:

- Headache
- Fever
- Nausea
- Vomiting

Advanced Symptoms:

- Stiff neck
- Confusion
- Seizures
- Hallucinations
- Coma

![Brain-Eating Amoeba (Naegleriasis) : Facts, causes, & symptoms | UPSC](https://factdr.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/BRAIN-EATING-AMOEBA-NAEGLERIASIS.png)

![Brain-eating amoeba | What is the extremely fatal Naegleria  Fowleri? | UPSC](https://akm-img-a-in.tosshub.com/sites/visualstory/stories/2023_03/story_25267/assets/9.jpeg?time=1678105765)

### **Prognosis**

- Rapid progression from initial symptoms to death, usually within 1 to 18 days.
- High fatality rate, often leading to coma and death within five days of symptom onset.

### **Treatment** 

Currently, there is no consistently effective treatment for PAM. Doctors use a combination of drugs:

- Amphotericin B
- Azithromycin
- Fluconazole
- Rifampin
- Miltefosine
- Dexamethasone

![Naegleria Fowleri | What is Naegleria Fowleri? | UPSC |  Brain-eating Amoeba ](https://dics.co/uploads/2023/07/1689079589biomolecules-11-01320-ag.webp)

### **Past Incidents in India**

- 20 reported cases of PAM in India.
- Kozhikode case is the seventh in Kerala.
- Notable cases in Alappuzha (2016, 2023), Malappuram, Thrissur.
- High incidence in Kerala likely due to numerous water bodies.

### **Conclusion** 

Naegleria fowleri, though rare, poses a serious risk in warm freshwater environments. Awareness, early detection, and stringent water safety measures are crucial to prevent future infections and fatalities.

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