How to Avoid Brain-Eating Amoeba While Swimming

CLEVELAND - Have you ever seen headlines during the summer about a brain-eating amoeba infection?

While extremely rare, an infectious disease expert explains what it is.

“Naegleria fowleri is a microscopic amoeba. It's a free-living organism that lives in fresh water such as lakes and rivers. It can also live in poorly kept pools and water systems,” said Lyssette Cardona, MD, an infectious disease specialist with Cleveland Clinic Florida.

Dr. Cardona explained that the brain-eating amoeba thrives in warm fresh water – that's why cases tend to make headlines over the summer.

If water with the amoeba enters the nose and reaches the brain, it can cause an often-deadly infection that destroys brain tissue. 

While infections are rare and the amoeba is not found in all water with these conditions, it’s best to take precautions.

These include holding your nose when jumping into fresh water and avoiding putting your head underwater in hot springs.

Dr. Cardona said it’s also important to know the signs of possible infection.

“The symptoms of meningoencephalitis are usually fever, headaches, nausea, vomiting and confusion. If it progresses without awareness, you can have hallucinations and seizures with the increased brain swelling,” Dr. Cardona said. 

Early treatment is critical, and Dr. Cardona urges that people seek medical care right away if symptoms develop after possible exposure.