What is the brain-eating amoeba that killed South Korean man?

A brain-eating amoeba has killed a man in South Korea.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) confirmed that the victim, 50, passed away after being infected by Naegleria fowleri – the first documented case of the amoeba in the country.

The man had recently returned to South Korea after a four-month stay in Thailand.

As per NDTV, the victim began displaying meningitis symptoms on the day of his arrival.

He was then admitted to hospital and passed away on 21 December.

The Korean agency said the cause of his death was confirmed via genetic testing on three different infections that cause Naegleria fowleri.

Tests showed the body had a gene 99.6 per cent identical to one discovered in a meningitis patient abroad.

Let’s take a closer look at Naegleria fowleri:

What is it?

As per the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Naegleria fowleri is a single-celled living organism that can only be seen under a microscope.

It is mainly found in warm fresh water bodies such as lakes, rivers, and hot springs as well as soil.

As per The Straits Times, this amoeba was first found in 1937 in Virginia.

How does it infect people?

Through the nose.

Once it gets into the brain, it begins destroying tissue and causes primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM).

As per CDC, this usually happens while swimming or diving in lakes and rivers.

It can also occur if people use tap infected water to clean their noses and sinuses.

In extremely rare cases, infections have arisen from water in pools, splash pads, or surf parks that doesn’t have enough chlorine.

People cannot be contract it by drinking contaminated water. It is also not found in salt water like the ocean, as per the CDC.

It cannot be transferred from one human being to another, as per Economic Times.

What are the symptoms?

The initial symptoms, appearing five days post infection, include

• Headache
• Fever
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Stiff neck
• Seizures
• Altered mental state
• Coma
• Death

Can it be treated?

Unfortunately, there is no treatment for it.

As per Economic Times, the amoeba being extremely rare makes it difficult to diagnose.

It is usually treated through inflammation controlling medication supportive care to address complications.

But how deadly is it?

Extremely.

Its death rate is an astounding 97 per cent, as per CDC.

Just four people of 154 infected in the United States from 1962 to 2021 survived an infection.

The Straits Times quoted the KDCA as advising residents to avoid swimming in regions and neighbourhoods where the disease broke out.

“To prevent the infection of Naegleria fowleri, we recommend avoiding swimming and leisure-related activities and using clean water when travelling to areas where cases have been reported,” Dr Jee Young-mee, who heads the KDCA, was quoted as saying.

In 2018, 381 cases of Naegleria fowleri were reported across the globe in countries such as India, Thailand, the United States, China and Japan, as per the newspaper.