The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC)has confirmedthat a brain - eating amoeba has infected a someone in South Carolina .
The person is thought to have become septic when they were swimming in the Edisto River in Charleston County two week ago , and is presently fighting for their life in a South Carolina hospital .
The culprit isNaegleria fowleri , a rare water - dwelling amoeba commonly known as " the brain - eat amoeba . " Typically , these ameba live in fresh , affectionate waters and provender on bacteria . However , if they ’re give the chance , they will jubilantly feed on brain cells and nerve tissue . Once the amoeba has begun its encroachment of the central unquiet system , symptoms include severe headaches , febrility , vomiting , capture , changes in gustatory modality and olfaction , confusion , want of balance , and visual hallucinations .
A messenger from a pharmaceutical caller headquarter in Florida has drive for six hours with capsules of the drug miltefosine to give to the infected affected role , theAssociated Pressreports . Miltefosine is a broad - spectrum drug that can be used to tackleLeishmania parasiteinfections . This drug has only been used once before on a sufferer of the deadly brain - eating amoeba . Each round of drinks of treatment cost around $ 48,000 .
Infections in man are fortuitously very rare . In the past X , there ’s been less than 40 reported pillow slip in the US . Nevertheless , if you are unfortunate enough to become infect , the outlook is grim . TheCDCsay that the chances of convalescence from this disease are low , although “ early diagnosis and unexampled treatment might increase the chances for survival . ”
In theCDC printing press statement , Dr Linda Bell excuse the rigid circumstances involve forNaegleria fowleriinfection:“First , you must be swimming in water in which the amoeba is present , " she said . " Second , you must climb up into the amoeba - check water feet - first , allowing the water to go up your olfactory organ with enough strength that the ameba can make its way to the brain . Most commonly , exposure result in the ameba fail before cause contagion .
" You should invalidate swim or jumping into bodies of fresh body of water when the water supply is warm and the water tier are low . Also , you should either hold your nose or use a nose plug . you’re able to not be infect by merely drink H2O containing the ameba . "
