Urgent warning to holidaymakers as brain-eating bug kills second victim
HOLIDAYMAKERS heading abroad this summer have been warned of deadly brain-eating bugs lurking in freshwater swimming holes.
It comes as at least two people have died from extensive brain damage caused by amoeba after bathing in infected waters.
The most recent victim died in Georgia, US, after swimming in a freshwater lake or pond, health officials said.
The unnamed person had been exposed to Naegleria fowleri, which causes a rare infection that "destroys brain tissue, causing brain swelling and usually death," the Georgia Department of Public Health said.
Earlier this month, a two-year-old child died after visiting Ash Springs in Nevada, hot springs located near Las Vegas.
Naegleria fowleri is known as the "brain-eating amoeba" because it causes a brain infection when water containing the amoeba goes up the nose.
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It spreads from the nose up nerves to the brain, where it multiplies and destroys tissue.
When the parasite enters the body, it is typically fatal.
Younger people are believed to be at greater risk.
Four out of 157 people infected with the amoeba in the US have survived since 1962, according to the Centre for Disease Control.
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The infection commonly occurs when people go swimming or diving in fresh, warm-water places such as lakes or rivers, the health body added.
In rare cases, infections can occur from swimming in poorly chlorinated pools and consuming contaminated tap water.
Symptoms of contracting naegleria fowleri present themselves in stages.
Stage one includes:
- severe frontal headache
- fever
- nausea
- vomiting
The symptoms of stage two are:
- a stiff neck
- seizures
- altered mental status
- hallucinations
- a possible coma
Identifying the bug during stage one is necessary for the best prognosis.
However, the disease can be harder to spot at this point and can often be confused for something less serious.
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In order to avoid infection, the CDC suggest people do the following:
- Holding your nose shut, use nose clips
- Keep your head above water when taking part in water-related activities in bodies of warm freshwater.
- Avoid water-related activities in warm freshwater during periods of high water temperature.
- Avoid digging in or stirring up the sediment while participating in water-related activities in shallow, warm freshwater areas