Illness & Symptoms | Naegleria fowleri | CDC ► Did You Know? | An unseen threat in warm freshwater lakes, rivers, and hot springs

Illness & Symptoms | Naegleria fowleri | CDC

• Naegleria fowleri, a brain-eating amebafound in warm freshwater, can enter the body through the nose and cause primary amebic meningoencephalitis, leading to brain swelling and death.
• An investigational drug available from theCDC Drug Service helped treat the first American since 1978 to survive illness from Naegleria fowleri.
• Swimmers can lower their risk of infection by following these tips when swimming in warm freshwater lakes, rivers, and hot springs, where most US infections have occurred.