6 die from brain-eating amoeba after swimming
- Thread starter buddy
- Start date
there's been a lot of bad news today. finally i turned the tv off like i usually have it.
I'm not getting in the water here....
dolphins (Flipper type) this week in our canal...saw a eagle ray snag a small octopus for lunch, mangrove snappers chasing it under the docks. 3 foot Nurse Shark and they have teeth...a bunch of small baracuda's and then saw the Momma...a 4 footer....:scared ...'oh mommy'.....
Made eye contact and I backed off......:scared
I'm happy being near the water with the opportunity to be on the water...just not getting in the water.
I'm jumpier than a tub full of assholes on land!
dolphins (Flipper type) this week in our canal...saw a eagle ray snag a small octopus for lunch, mangrove snappers chasing it under the docks. 3 foot Nurse Shark and they have teeth...a bunch of small baracuda's and then saw the Momma...a 4 footer....:scared ...'oh mommy'.....
Made eye contact and I backed off......:scared
I'm happy being near the water with the opportunity to be on the water...just not getting in the water.
I'm jumpier than a tub full of assholes on land!
yeh the next thing is the amoebas will get in our drinking water.
Come through the facet , bounce up off the stainless steel sink, jump in my nose , and eat
my brains.
:SIB
Come through the facet , bounce up off the stainless steel sink, jump in my nose , and eat
my brains.
:SIB
I think I remember an e-mail of this sort a few years back, like the spider under the toilet seat...I'm not going to 'snoope' it, but I think it's "Horse Hockey!"
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hey boss jack,
that avatar is worse than FDCs old one :SIB
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ok I will snope it and investigate the truthfullness of this report
Conclusions
As the clinical and epidemiologic history demonstrate, our patient contracted PAM caused by N. fowleri 10 days after swimming and diving in polluted river water in Italy during the unusually hot summer. He displayed characteristic, though not strictly specific, clinical features of PAM (1,2): 1) hyperacute clinical course; 2) unrelenting signs and symptoms of meningitis and encephalitis, the latter confirmed by CT imaging; 3) high levels of peripheral leukocyte count, mainly polymorphonuclear leukocytes; 4) cloudy CSF with leukocytes, hyperproteinosis, low glucose level, and absence of bacteria and fungi; 5) rapid worsening of disease, leading to death within a week. Gross pathologic and histologic findings confirmed the clinical suspicion.
None of the patient?s friends and relatives who swam in the same water hole on the same day became ill. Nasal swabs from all of them were negative for amebas, which confirms that fatal N. fowleri infection is rare.
Previous epidemiologic studies, conducted in Italy on warm water and thermal mud, failed to isolate N. fowleri, although they isolated strains of two other Naegleria species, N. italica and N. australiensis, which are experimentally pathogenic to mice (8?11). Therefore, we initially hypothesized that this case could be caused by one of these species; however, N. fowleri was identified by IIF analysis, and PCR confirmed it as genotype I.
This case is the first diagnosed occurrence of PAM in Italy. Few clinicians and microbiologists in Italy are aware of the disease and the potential danger presented by other free-living, pathogenic species of amebas, such as Acanthamoeba and Balamuthia. Consequently, other cases may have gone undiagnosed.
We emphasize that environmental conditions, in particular, the unusually hot summer of 2003 in Italy and other European countries, have strongly contributed to increasing the surface temperature of natural, open-air basins, such as rivers, lakes, and ponds. According to the forecast by a United Nations scientific advisory panel, global temperature will rise 0.8?C?3.5?C by the year 2100 if production of greenhouse gases is not reduced. An increase in surface temperature will create ideal niches for the thermophilic N. fowleri (1,2). Persons who bathe, swim, or dive in pools or freshwater natural basins will increase their chances of coming into contact with N. fowleri and contracting PAM.
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:scared :com: :scared
As the clinical and epidemiologic history demonstrate, our patient contracted PAM caused by N. fowleri 10 days after swimming and diving in polluted river water in Italy during the unusually hot summer. He displayed characteristic, though not strictly specific, clinical features of PAM (1,2): 1) hyperacute clinical course; 2) unrelenting signs and symptoms of meningitis and encephalitis, the latter confirmed by CT imaging; 3) high levels of peripheral leukocyte count, mainly polymorphonuclear leukocytes; 4) cloudy CSF with leukocytes, hyperproteinosis, low glucose level, and absence of bacteria and fungi; 5) rapid worsening of disease, leading to death within a week. Gross pathologic and histologic findings confirmed the clinical suspicion.
None of the patient?s friends and relatives who swam in the same water hole on the same day became ill. Nasal swabs from all of them were negative for amebas, which confirms that fatal N. fowleri infection is rare.
Previous epidemiologic studies, conducted in Italy on warm water and thermal mud, failed to isolate N. fowleri, although they isolated strains of two other Naegleria species, N. italica and N. australiensis, which are experimentally pathogenic to mice (8?11). Therefore, we initially hypothesized that this case could be caused by one of these species; however, N. fowleri was identified by IIF analysis, and PCR confirmed it as genotype I.
This case is the first diagnosed occurrence of PAM in Italy. Few clinicians and microbiologists in Italy are aware of the disease and the potential danger presented by other free-living, pathogenic species of amebas, such as Acanthamoeba and Balamuthia. Consequently, other cases may have gone undiagnosed.
We emphasize that environmental conditions, in particular, the unusually hot summer of 2003 in Italy and other European countries, have strongly contributed to increasing the surface temperature of natural, open-air basins, such as rivers, lakes, and ponds. According to the forecast by a United Nations scientific advisory panel, global temperature will rise 0.8?C?3.5?C by the year 2100 if production of greenhouse gases is not reduced. An increase in surface temperature will create ideal niches for the thermophilic N. fowleri (1,2). Persons who bathe, swim, or dive in pools or freshwater natural basins will increase their chances of coming into contact with N. fowleri and contracting PAM.
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:scared :com: :scared
Naegleria fowleri is technically not 'a' brain amoeba so much as the 'premier' brain amoeba of record. Like most amoebas, it basically goes through life as a single-celled sack of fluid gelatin surrounded by a greasy membrane. This Amoeba lives mostly in freshwater lakes and ponds and at times, is found in heated swimming pools following transfer through bird waste or vector insects. By encapsulating themselves into cysts, brain amoebas can endure harsh environmental conditions such as drying or extreme cold, essentially allowing them to lie dormant anywhere at anytime.
When plunked into warm water, these amoebas come alive in a way similar to sea monkeys and quickly gain the equivilant awareness of college students vacationing in Ft. Lauderdale. Now in reproductive phase, Brain Amoebas maniacally creep around the pond or swimming pool until they locate a food source, usually the inside of a host?s nostril. Once there, it instinctively travels down the path laid out by the olfactory nerve until it seeps into the brain.
Here, the Brain Amoeba uses it's enzymes as a fake ID to get past the blood-brain barrier and now as it enters the club, the real fun begins. Surface proteins activate to tell the Brain Amoeba where the best food sources are and now baited, it wanders along like it's following midgets to a girls gone wild video shoot. At each location, the amoeba drools proteins in a way reminicent of a bulemic salivating in the shadow of a buffet line. These proteins cut holes into cells closest to the amoeba and as the contents of these neurons leak out, the amoeba grabs all the nutrients it can stuff into it's greasy membrane; quickly converting human memories and neurological functions into holes filled with plasma, nitrogen waste and more Brain Amoebas.
The resulting infection triggers the immune response. The immune response has all the effectiveness of a teaspoon of salt added to five gallons of chicken broth. Mitotically splitting Brain Amoebas laugh at your antibodies and internalize any that attach to it's surface. If by chance, some complement proteins are able to bypass the amoebic surface while it's gorging itself on your neurons, the amoeba simply collects them in one area of its membrane, forms a ball and sends it off as a little balloon. The shed membrane acts as a decoy to attract phagocytes, reducing the body's elite repuplican guard to fussy housewives as the amoebas continue to attack the brain like Led Zepplin attacks a hotel room.
As you can imagine, this is extremely harmful to the brain and the person trying to answer the phone or suck down a cup of coffee. A tingly feeling is usually a harbinger for primary amoebic meningo-cephalitis, a condition of leaking cerebrospinal fluids accompanied by seizures, dementia and mercifully, death within hours. Mortality rate of N. fowleri infection stands at 97 percent, with infected corpses garnering extra crematorium expenses to destroy encysted amoebas and amoebas freely leaking out the ears and nose to search for new sources of food.
Of the 'lucky' 3 percent who survive the onslaught of the Brain Amoeba, few will ever play tennis again.
The Brain Amoeba is the official predator of the week until March 8, 2006
...........................................................
When plunked into warm water, these amoebas come alive in a way similar to sea monkeys and quickly gain the equivilant awareness of college students vacationing in Ft. Lauderdale. Now in reproductive phase, Brain Amoebas maniacally creep around the pond or swimming pool until they locate a food source, usually the inside of a host?s nostril. Once there, it instinctively travels down the path laid out by the olfactory nerve until it seeps into the brain.
Here, the Brain Amoeba uses it's enzymes as a fake ID to get past the blood-brain barrier and now as it enters the club, the real fun begins. Surface proteins activate to tell the Brain Amoeba where the best food sources are and now baited, it wanders along like it's following midgets to a girls gone wild video shoot. At each location, the amoeba drools proteins in a way reminicent of a bulemic salivating in the shadow of a buffet line. These proteins cut holes into cells closest to the amoeba and as the contents of these neurons leak out, the amoeba grabs all the nutrients it can stuff into it's greasy membrane; quickly converting human memories and neurological functions into holes filled with plasma, nitrogen waste and more Brain Amoebas.
The resulting infection triggers the immune response. The immune response has all the effectiveness of a teaspoon of salt added to five gallons of chicken broth. Mitotically splitting Brain Amoebas laugh at your antibodies and internalize any that attach to it's surface. If by chance, some complement proteins are able to bypass the amoebic surface while it's gorging itself on your neurons, the amoeba simply collects them in one area of its membrane, forms a ball and sends it off as a little balloon. The shed membrane acts as a decoy to attract phagocytes, reducing the body's elite repuplican guard to fussy housewives as the amoebas continue to attack the brain like Led Zepplin attacks a hotel room.
As you can imagine, this is extremely harmful to the brain and the person trying to answer the phone or suck down a cup of coffee. A tingly feeling is usually a harbinger for primary amoebic meningo-cephalitis, a condition of leaking cerebrospinal fluids accompanied by seizures, dementia and mercifully, death within hours. Mortality rate of N. fowleri infection stands at 97 percent, with infected corpses garnering extra crematorium expenses to destroy encysted amoebas and amoebas freely leaking out the ears and nose to search for new sources of food.
Of the 'lucky' 3 percent who survive the onslaught of the Brain Amoeba, few will ever play tennis again.
The Brain Amoeba is the official predator of the week until March 8, 2006
...........................................................
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Of the 'lucky' 3 percent who survive the onslaught of the Brain Amoeba, few will ever play tennis again.
The Brain Amoeba is the official predator of the week until March 8, 2006
...............
glad I don't play tennis and that March 6, 2006 has passed
The Brain Amoeba is the official predator of the week until March 8, 2006
...............
glad I don't play tennis and that March 6, 2006 has passed
There are numerous pathogenic organisms in our environment no doubt and some are more prolific and are noteworthy enough to be placed on the evening news and be famed as the scourge of mankind, and rightly so. However there is one small, seemingly insignificant organism that crops up from time to time and captures the attention of the public. It occurs during the summer months from June through September when temperatures exceed 80?F. Although kept in the shadows, this organism's claim to fame is Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis, or PAM for short. PAM is an infectious disease caused by a small, thermophilic, freshwater amoeba known as Naegleria fowleri, which occurs naturally in our environment.
Little is known about N. fowleri but quite a bit is known about the infection that it causes. The infection is acquired by having the amoeba introduced, forcefully, into the nasal passage. This is accomplished by diving into contaminated warm, natural bodies of freshwater. There have been a few reported cases of PAM having been documented without freshwater activity but little or no information on these particular cases is available. Once inside the nasal passage the amoeba, N. fowleri, invades the Central Nervous System infecting the brain of the host causing severe hemorrhaging and swelling of the brain leading to the death of the host.
So, who is at risk for infection from N. fowleri? The risks of encountering N. fowleri are high, while the risk of being infected is low. PAM is a rare infection. It seems that young males are the most susceptible with very few cases reported in females. However, this could be due to the fact that young males are more aggressive in freshwater related activities than females. There has been no evidence of any sexual preference as related to the host. Those with compromised immune systems are highly susceptible to the infection, also.
Now, what are the symptoms of infection and what can be done? The symptoms of PAM usually occur in less than a week. They are as follows:
Headache and fever
Stiff neck and back
Nausea and vomiting
Confusion and agitation
Photosensitivity
Paralysis and seizures
Coma and finally death
Most of those who are infected with N. fowleri die within 72 hrs. There is no evidence of the infection being spread from person to person nor is there evidence of self-infection due to the culturing and handling of N. fowleri. For those who may be considering culturing this amoeba, it is strongly recommended that they be very familiar with the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for the storage and handling of Biological Safety Level 2 organisms.
Recovery from a N. fowleri infection is very slim, it is considered to be 100% fatal, however there have been five reported cases of the host surviving. Aggressive treatment is given using Amphotericin B and Micronozale and other drugs or antibiotics but time is of the greatest importance in treating the infection. At the onset of symptoms, it has been recommended that the individual consult a physician immediately and, if having been involved in freshwater activities such as swimming and diving in warm freshwaters, the physician should be notified of such activities.
Naegleria fowleri can be quite prolific during the hot summer months and can be found in such places as the shallow areas of lakes, slow moving streams and rivers, ponds, and poorly treated swimming pools and spas. Children's small backyard pools, the kind used to splash around in, should not be left standing more than a day, since they can heat rapidly. PAM infections are not uncommon in the United States.
As stated previously, Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis is a rare infection and is something to be aware of during the summer months but not to be alarmed over. There have been only about 300 cases of PAM reported worldwide. For more information on PAM and Naegleria consult your local health department or contact the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
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Well I will conclude my investigation that this amoebe is amongst us.
oh mommy
Little is known about N. fowleri but quite a bit is known about the infection that it causes. The infection is acquired by having the amoeba introduced, forcefully, into the nasal passage. This is accomplished by diving into contaminated warm, natural bodies of freshwater. There have been a few reported cases of PAM having been documented without freshwater activity but little or no information on these particular cases is available. Once inside the nasal passage the amoeba, N. fowleri, invades the Central Nervous System infecting the brain of the host causing severe hemorrhaging and swelling of the brain leading to the death of the host.
So, who is at risk for infection from N. fowleri? The risks of encountering N. fowleri are high, while the risk of being infected is low. PAM is a rare infection. It seems that young males are the most susceptible with very few cases reported in females. However, this could be due to the fact that young males are more aggressive in freshwater related activities than females. There has been no evidence of any sexual preference as related to the host. Those with compromised immune systems are highly susceptible to the infection, also.
Now, what are the symptoms of infection and what can be done? The symptoms of PAM usually occur in less than a week. They are as follows:
Headache and fever
Stiff neck and back
Nausea and vomiting
Confusion and agitation
Photosensitivity
Paralysis and seizures
Coma and finally death
Most of those who are infected with N. fowleri die within 72 hrs. There is no evidence of the infection being spread from person to person nor is there evidence of self-infection due to the culturing and handling of N. fowleri. For those who may be considering culturing this amoeba, it is strongly recommended that they be very familiar with the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for the storage and handling of Biological Safety Level 2 organisms.
Recovery from a N. fowleri infection is very slim, it is considered to be 100% fatal, however there have been five reported cases of the host surviving. Aggressive treatment is given using Amphotericin B and Micronozale and other drugs or antibiotics but time is of the greatest importance in treating the infection. At the onset of symptoms, it has been recommended that the individual consult a physician immediately and, if having been involved in freshwater activities such as swimming and diving in warm freshwaters, the physician should be notified of such activities.
Naegleria fowleri can be quite prolific during the hot summer months and can be found in such places as the shallow areas of lakes, slow moving streams and rivers, ponds, and poorly treated swimming pools and spas. Children's small backyard pools, the kind used to splash around in, should not be left standing more than a day, since they can heat rapidly. PAM infections are not uncommon in the United States.
As stated previously, Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis is a rare infection and is something to be aware of during the summer months but not to be alarmed over. There have been only about 300 cases of PAM reported worldwide. For more information on PAM and Naegleria consult your local health department or contact the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
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Well I will conclude my investigation that this amoebe is amongst us.
oh mommy
that's what it's all about :shrug:
at least you & I are not a crybaby like sponge
