Naegleria fowleri death reported in Colombia
Naegleria fowleri death reported in Colombia
10-year-old Stefania Villamizar likely contracted the lethal parasite swimming in a pool
A 10-year-old Colombian girl lost her life to the “brain-eating amoeba”, Naegleria fowleri over the summer and the news is coming out now in the publication, Semana.
According to the report:
On June 18 of this year, Tatiana traveled with her daughter to Santa Marta to enjoy the holidays. Two days later, Stefania Villamizar began to complain of pain in her ear that extended to episodes of vomiting and fever after swimming in a pool. At first, her symptoms were treated as otitis.
Mother and daughter returned to their home, in Bucaramanga, and the days passed without any type of alert. The discomfort in the ear continued, but its intensity decreased.
On July 4th, Stefania woke up, but she was not the same. She didn't want to get out of bed, the light bothered her and she called the service employee to accompany her to take a shower. A request that caused surprise in her house. Suddenly, standing inside the bathroom, she began to convulse.
The little girl remained under medical observation and underwent different procedures. It was evident that it was not a simple ear infection, but the specialists did not know what was happening. Unfortunately, 24 days later, Stefania died in the clinic surrounded by her parents and her other relatives. It was a death almost announced. Two days before her death, the girl was declared brain dead.
Interview with the CDC’s Jennifer Cope, MD about Naegleria fowleri
A month after the death and after carrying out a series of autopsy studies, specialists determined that the girl died from amoebic meningoencephalitis.
The little girl's mother, Tatiana González, decided to speak with the aforementioned media to tell what happened and warn about the danger of this parasite. She hopes her story will help others take precautions to avoid contracting the infection.
What is Naegleria fowleri?
Naegleria fowleri is a microscopic amoeba which is a single-celled living organism. It can cause a rare and devastating infection of the brain called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). The amoeba is commonly found in warm freshwater such as lakes, rivers, ponds and canals. It can also be found in pools and splash pads that are not properly maintained.
Infections can happen when contaminated water enters the body through the nose. Once the amoeba enters the nose, it travels to the brain where it causes PAM (which destroys brain tissue) and is usually fatal. Infections usually occur when it is hot for prolonged periods of time, which results in higher water temperatures and lower water levels.
Naegleria fowleri infections are rare. Most infections occur from exposure to contaminated recreational water. Cases due to the use of neti pots and the practice of ablution have been documented.
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You cannot be infected with Naegleria fowleri by drinking contaminated water and the amoeba is not found in salt water.
Initial symptoms of PAM usually start within 1 to 7 days after infection. The initial symptoms may include headache, fever, nausea, or vomiting. Other symptoms can include stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, seizures, and hallucinations. After the start of symptoms, the disease progresses rapidly.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the mortality rate is over 97%. Only four people of the 151 who were infected in the United States between 1962 and 2020 survived.
Steps people should take to reduce the risk of becoming infected with Naegleria fowleri should focus on limiting the amount of water entering the nose and decreasing the chances of the amoeba being in water like avoid swimming in stagnant waters or with temperatures above 25 degrees Celsius, wear a nose clip or nose plugs when swimming in fresh water and proper disinfection of public water supplies.