PRIMARY AMOEBIC
MENINGOENCEPHALITIS - SCI & TECH
News:
Rare and fatal brain-eating amoeba
infection
What's in the news?
●
Recently, there have
been four cases, including three deaths, of the rare, but fatal primary amoebic
meningoencephalitis (PAM) in Kerala in the last two months.
Amoebic
Meningoencephalitis:
●
Primary Amoebic
Meningoencephalitis (PAM) is a rare but often fatal infection of the brain caused by the amoeba Naegleria
fowleri, commonly known as the "brain-eating
amoeba."
●
PAM is a non-communicable disease.
Causative Agent -
Naegleria fowleri
Important Takeaways:
●
This is a free-living
amoeba typically found in warm freshwater environments such as lakes, rivers,
hot springs, and poorly maintained swimming pools.
Go back to basics:
Amoeba:
●
An amoeba is a type of
cell or unicellular organism with
the ability to alter its shape, primarily by extending and retracting pseudopods.
●
Higher temperatures of
up to 115°F (46°C) are conducive to its growth and it can survive for short
periods in warm environments.
● The amoeba enters the human body through the nose, usually when people are swimming or diving in contaminated water.