Health officials say that 6 people have died this year from a deadly amoeba infection. All were believed to have contracted the amoeba from swimming in warm, freshwater lakes, rivers or natural springs.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention there is no risk from swimming in properly chlorinated pools. The amoeba enters the human body through the nose. It then travels to the brain, where it begins to feed. Symptoms of the amoeba’s rampage begin 1 to 14 days after infection and resemble the flu. At the onset of those symptoms the amoeba victim’s health swiftly declines.
The CDC says that there have only been 24 known cases of the virus in the U.S. since 1989. Health officials cannot explain the spike in cases this summer, except that weather plays a factor. “Because it’s been such a hot summer, that has contributed to warmer water temperatures and lower water levels and that makes an ideal environment for the amoeba,” said Dr. Rebecca Sunenshine of the Arizona Department of Health, which is investigating a death last month there tied to the amoeba.
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