HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — A rare "brain-eating amoeba" was diagnosed in a person in Florida, county health officials said.
A confirmed case of Naegleria fowleri, a microscopic amoeba found in warm freshwater environments that infects the brain and is usually fatal, was announced Friday by the Florida Department of Health.
One person contracted Naegleria fowleri in Hillsborough County. Naegleria fowleri is a microscopic single-celled living amoeba. The amoeba can cause a rare infection of the brain called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) that destroys brain tissue and is usually fatal. pic.twitter.com/icT66tqlkU
— DOH - Hillsborough (@DOHHillsborough) July 3, 2020
Health officials did not disclose the person's identity or the body of water where the person might have been infected, The Tampa Bay Times reported.
The amoeba can lead to primary amebic meningoencephalitis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A person can be infected through contaminated water entering their nose. The amoeba is more prevalent during the summer months when water levels are lower and temperatures are higher. Symptoms include fever, nausea and headaches.
There have been 37 reported cases of the amoeba in Florida since 1962.
Cox Media Group
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