{"id":306,"date":"2020-06-24T08:56:43","date_gmt":"2020-06-24T12:56:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/waterborne-hazards-control\/?page_id=306"},"modified":"2024-05-22T13:08:02","modified_gmt":"2024-05-22T17:08:02","slug":"free-living-ameba","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/waterborne-hazards-control\/recreational-water-illnesses\/free-living-ameba\/","title":{"rendered":"Free-living Ameba"},"content":{"rendered":"

Infections with free-living ameba (single-celled living organism) are rare and can cause a wide range of symptoms in people. Specific amebae known to cause infections in people include:\u00a0Naegleria fowleri<\/em><\/a>,\u00a0Balamuthia mandrillaris<\/em><\/a>, and\u00a0Acanthamoeba spp<\/em>.<\/a><\/p>\n

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Spotlight on\u00a0Naegleria fowleri<\/em> infections\u00a0in the U.S.<\/h3>\n

The risk of Naegleria fowleri<\/em> infection is very low. There have been 37 reported infections in the U.S. in the 10 years from 2006 to 2015, despite millions of recreational water exposures each year. By comparison, in the ten years from 2001 to 2010, there were more than 34,000 drowning deaths in the U.S.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

In 2011, a death in a school-aged child from the central region of Virginia was reported. The cause of death was confirmed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a free-living ameba called\u00a0Naegleria fowleri<\/em>.\u00a0 This type of ameba can cause a rare, but severe infection of the brain. Naegleria fowleri <\/em>is commonly found in warm fresh water (for example, lakes, rivers, and hot springs) and in soil.<\/p>\n

Humans become infected when water containing Naegleria fowleri <\/em>enters the nose, usually while swimming. People do not<\/strong> get infected by drinking contaminated water. Very rarely, infections have been reported when people submerge their heads, cleanse their noses during religious practices, or irrigate their sinuses (nose) using contaminated tap or faucet water. Once the ameba enters the brain, it causes an often fatal infection called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). The ameba has never been shown to have spread from one person to another.<\/p>\n

How can I reduce the risk of an amebic infection while recreating?<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n