'Brain-eating' amoeba spreading North in USA

[Eldorado]

Experts are worried that a microbe that rarely but sometimes finds its way into human brains is moving out of its normal range in the south toward the north. Once in the brain, the amoeba destroys brain tissue and causes swelling and inflammation. The amoeba is naturally found in warm freshwater, but with climate change increasing temperatures, it has been found in Midwestern states further north than before.

A new study set to publish in Emerging Infectious Diseases in January reports that the amoeba may be expanding its geographical range. The authors looked at cases of primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) caused by the amoeba Naegleria fowleri between 1978 and 2018. It gets into the brain through the nose and does not cause infection if swallowed. However, PAM is very rare, with only 34 cases in the last 10 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Full story at The Hill: Link

Geographic Range of Recreational Water-Associated Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis, United States, 1978–2018

US CDC