Girls become infected while Swimming with brain-eating amoeba and fighting for her life

In the United States is fighting a girl for his life, after the Swim, a rare but life-threatening infection with the protozoan Naegleria fowleri contracted has. The amoeba lives in warm waters such as lakes, rivers or streams. Contaminated water is inhaled through the nose, and can penetrate the amoeba to the brain and an infection trigger, which destroys the brain tissue and in most cases fatal. In the USA there were between the years of 1962 and 2018, a total of 145 reported infections with Naegleria fowleri – only four patients survived.

As the cousin of the girl reported on Facebook, I made the infection in the ten-year initially with fever and headaches. The Doctors had initially thought of a conventional viral infection and the family is sent back home. The next Morning the girl had not been responsive. Since then, the ten-year-old was being treated in the “Cook Children’s Medical Center” in Fort Worth, Texas. A lumbar puncture was finally found that an infection with Naegleria fowleri is.

As the TV channel “KXAS-TV” reported, had been transferred the girl into a state of artificial coma to allow the swelling of the brain treat. In addition, you get anti-microbial drugs. “She’s a fighter,” said the father of the girl against the TV channel. “She’s stronger than any other Person I know.”

The family has set up a Facebook group, which currently has more than 20,000 members. Under the Hashtag #LilyStrong family members regularly publish new information on the state of health of the ten-year-old. They also ask for prayers for the recovery of the girl.

Infections with amoebae are very rare

Although the Amöbenart in U.S. waters occurs relatively frequently, infections are very rare. As the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tells whether it is safe to drink contaminated water. A Transfer is only possible if the water get into the nose. A human to human Transmission is not possible. The amoeba live in freshwater.

The first symptoms after infection to show in the section after about five days, Affected persons complain of headache, fever, and Nausea. Later on, neck stiffness, and seizures are added. The perception of Ill is severely limited. After the onset of symptoms, the disease usually leads within a few days of death.

Against the infection and there is currently no approved therapy. There were drugs in the laboratory to be effective, but their effectiveness is not proven in humans, according to the CDC. A promising approach could be a drug called Miltefosine, further reported to the authority. Two Sufferers had infections with Naegleria fowleri , recently, after they survived with the agent and other drugs have been treated were.

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