Naegleria Fowleri

Naegleria Fowleri In recent months there has been much talk and speculation about the bacteria called Naegleria Fowleri, or better known to the public as the “Brain-eating ameba”. This microscopic and seemingly insignificant organism is commonly found in warm fresh water around the world, yet infections with this particular ameba are rare, leaving doctors and scientists curious to understand the link between this microorganism and the select few infected by this deadly bacteria. Studies indicate that many people may have antibodies to Naegleria Fowleri in which their immune systems fought off the amoeba. Doctors are inclined to belief that children and young males are possibly at a higher risk of being infected simply because children and

PAM is a disease of the central nervous system and is generally always fatal. The portal of entry for Naegleria Fowleri is through the nasal cavity. This ameoba lives in contaminated water such as in fresh water lakes, rivers or hot springs. Particularly in the southern tier states, as temperatures are warmer in these states making perfect conditions for this dangerous organism. 132 people are known to have been infected in the U.S. since 1962 and of those 132 people only three people have survived (Illness & Symptoms, 2014). The original survivor’s condition gradually improved after a one-month hospitalization. Lab experiments have suggested the original survivor strain of Naegleria Fowleri may have been less virulent because the this particular strain did not cause damage to cells as quickly as other strains that followed (Illness & Symptoms,

Amphotericin B is a polyene antifungal agent that targets the cell membrane of a fungal cell. The cell membrane has a lipid bilayer component consisting of sterols. One of the sterols in this layer is ergo sterol. Ergo sterol provides stability and flexibility to the cell membrane. Amphotericin B penetrates the cell wall and inserts itself into the cell membrane. Once Amphotericin B enters the cell membrane it serves as an aggregate binding close to ergo sterol. This binding of ergo sterol and amphotericin B creates pores in the intracellular membrane causing the loss of potassium and ultimately the organism will die. This drug has not been proven effective in treating PAM, yet all known cases surviving this infection have been treated with Amphotericin B. Work is currently being done to determine what specific to Naegleria Fowleri makes it pathogenic and if these virulence factors can be specifically targeted by drugs. In 2014 the U.S. Food and Drug administration approved a drug called Miltefosine in treatment of Naegleria Fowleri. Miltefosine was originally intended as an anti-cancer treatment. Studies are still unclear as to whether or not Miltefosine will be effective in fighting the organism because this drug is still so new on the market. Test methods for detecting this organism are fairly limited because there are only a hand full of laboratories