Missouri adult dies after 'brain-eating' infection: Officials
MISSOURI - The Missouri resident who was diagnosed with a rare "brain-eating" infection last week has died, according to officials.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services made the announcement Wednesday afternoon that the individual died Tuesday at a St. Louis area hospital.
The individual was diagnosed with Naegleria fowleri on Aug. 13. DHSS believes it was contracted while the individual was water skiing in Lake of the Ozarks days prior, although the source of the exposure has not been confirmed.
Naegleria fowleri is a microscopic free-living amoeba that can cause a rare, deadly infection of the brain called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), also known as a “brain-eating” infection.
There are no other cases of PAM that DHSS is aware of, a release said. There were only 167 reported cases of the amoeba between 1962 and 2024.
DHSS recommends the following precautions to minimize risk of infection while in bodies of freshwater:
- Hold your nose shut, use nose clips, or keep your head above water
- Avoid putting your head underwater in hot springs or other untreated thermal waters
- Avoid water-related activities in warm freshwater when water temperature is high
- Do not dig or stir sediment while in shallow, warm freshwater sources, as the amoeba is likely to live in the sediment
Additionally, if you experience the below symptoms after swimming in a warm freshwater source, contact your doctor:
- Severe headache
- Fever
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Stiff neck
- Seizures
- Altered mental status
- Hallucinations
For more information regarding the infection, click here.
