Naegleria fowleri

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Naegleria fowleri
Naegleria fowleri

Naegleria fowleri

Systematics
without rank: Discoba
without rank: Discicristata
without rank: Heterolobosis
without rank: Vahlkampfiidae
Genre : Naegleria
Type : Naegleria fowleri
Scientific name
Naegleria fowleri
Carter , 1970

Naegleria fowleri is an amoeba-like rhizopod (root pod) thatcan attack humansas a facultative (notdependenton a host ) parasite .

features

As a trophozoite , Naegleria is similar to amoebas , as it moves with pseudopodia ( pseudopodia ). However, if the electrolyte level in the environment drops , the cell forms flagella with which it can escape from the unfavorable environment. The trophozoite has a size of up to 30  micrometers , its cysts only up to 15  micrometers .

Life cycle

Stages of Naegleria fowleri

Naegleria fowleri forms colonies in which several hundred trophozoites live together. They mainly feed on bacteria and detritus (dead plants). When trophozoites get into the nose while swimming or other activities, they invade the brain along the olfactory nerve .

distribution

Naegleria fowleri is distributed all over the world, with a focus on Australia and the USA . Since N. fowleri is dependent on moisture, it occurs mainly in damp soil and in stagnant water. It can spread optimally in warm waters and forms smaller colonies there. Their occurrence is therefore mostly limited to swimming pools , bathing lakes and industrial wastewater .

From 1962 to 2018, 145 cases of infection were known in the United States, of which only four survived.

The following cases are known, among others:

  • In 2011, two deaths were reported in Louisiana after nasal rinsing with tap water.
  • In 2012, nine men and a four-year-old child died of Naegleria fowleri infection in Karachi (Pakistan) within six months ; the route of infection is not clear, e.g. B. only one of those affected had previously bathed in a body of water.
  • In 2015, the case of a 21-year-old woman was reported from Northern Inyo Hospital, Bishop, California.
  • On June 19, 2016, an 18-year-old woman died in Charlotte (North Carolina) , USA, after a boat capsized as part of a rafting trip in the Whitewater River (Keowee River) as a result of the infection.
  • In 2018 the case of an American who had visited a surfing and water skiing facility before his death was reported.
  • In July 2019, a swimmer fell ill and died after swimming at Fantasy Lake Water Park in Cumberland County, North Carolina.
  • In September 2019, a ten-year-old girl died in Texas after swimming in the Brazos River or Lake Whitney a week earlier .

Pathogenicity

Histopathology of amoebic meningoencephalitis.

Naegleria fowleri causes purulent meningitis , primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAME), predominantly in children and young adults. PAME is also known as naegleriasis or swimming pool amoebosis. PAME can break out suddenly three to seven days after an infection, no later than 14 days. The occurrence of massive fever, nausea, vomiting, headache and neck stiffness leads to pyogenic meningoencephalitis , followed by coma and death within a week. Few cases are known where early treatment has resulted in survival. The CDC recommend treating infected people with the active ingredient miltefosine . Amphotericin B , possibly in combination with rifampicin , is also available for the treatment of infections with other Naegleria species .

In endemic areas , specific antibody titers are detectable in many adolescents , which is why many Naegleria infections are likely to be symptom-free.

Prevention can be achieved by disinfecting swimming pools and avoiding wastewater and shallow water, especially in warmer areas. Nose clips while swimming can also help prevent infection. There are no legal regulations (such as mandatory notification) for this disease. The diagnosis can be made by detecting rapidly moving amoebas in the CSF .

literature

  • SC Parija, SR Jayakeerthee: Naegleria fowleri. A free living amoeba of emerging medical importance . In: The Journal of Communicable Diseases , Vol. 31 (1999), Issue 3, pp. 153-159, ISSN  0019-5138 PMID 10916609

Web links

Commons : Naegleria fowleri  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Jacey Fortin: Man Dies of 'Brain-Eating' Amoeba After Swimming in Lake . New York Times, July 25, 2019
  2. ↑ Report on the 2011 deaths
  3. ↑ Report on the deaths 2012 ( Memento from September 11, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
  4. ↑ http://www.abendblatt.de/nachrichten/article205445505/Toedlicher-Parasit-Einzeller-frisst-sich-durchs-Gehirn.html
  5. ↑ http://wncn.com/2016/06/22/ohio-girl-dies-from-suspected-amoeba-after-visiting-whitewater-center-in-nc/
  6. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/01/science/brain-eating-amoeba-death.html
  7. ↑ https://edition.cnn.com/2019/09/16/us/texas-brain-eating-amoeba-girl-dies-trnd/index.html
  8. ↑ Dt. Report (Sept. 17, 2019)
  9. ↑ Death of a 29-Year-Old: Brain-Destroying Amoeba - You Must Know That. In: Spiegel Online . October 2, 2018, accessed October 7, 2018 .
  10. ^ Marianne Abele-Horn: Antimicrobial Therapy. Decision support for the treatment and prophylaxis of infectious diseases. With the collaboration of Werner Heinz, Hartwig Klinker, Johann Schurz and August Stich, 2nd, revised and expanded edition. Peter Wiehl, Marburg 2009, ISBN 978-3-927219-14-4 , p. 293.
  11. ↑ Facts About Naegleria fowleri andPrimary Amebic Meningoencephalitis