He died after rinsing his nose with water: “the brain-eating amoeba” claims another victim

It is a very rare but extremely dangerous infection. And for good reason, nine times out of ten, it ends in death.

This is unfortunately what happened to an American. Across the Atlantic, several media reported the case of a Florida resident who died at the end of February. He had been infected with Naegleria fowleri by rinsing his nose with tap water.

Behind the scientific name of this bacterium that causes primary amoebic meningoencephalitis hides a more concrete nickname: “the brain-eating amoeba”.

Its peculiarity is that the infection “can only occur when water contaminated with amoebas enters the body through the nose”. When drinking, gastric juices get the better of the amoebacomplete Free lunch.

Severe migraines, stiff neck, dizziness, confusion and hallucinations

In an article on the subject, TF1 explained that“passing through the nostrils, the microbe goes up to the brain, causing strong migraines, hyperthermia, stiffening of the neck and vomiting, before causing dizziness, lethargy, confusion and hallucinations”.

In 2008, a 9-year-old boy died of lightning meningitis after swimming and diving in a pool fed by a hot spring in Guadeloupe, where the presence of Naeglerie fowleri was detected.