Warm water amoeba "Naegleria fowleri" - can kill (infection, symptoms)

[ShadowCaver]

Not to scare, but to be forewarned... while it appears to be a cheap Hollywood horror movie, it is true. There is an amoeba "Naegleria fowleri" that inhabits waters that can enter the body through the nose - and then attacks the brain where it feeds until you perish, after having flue-like symptoms. Being a caver, have received a few posts via email and info via other forums pertaining to this risk.

Lake Havasu teen 6th person this year killed by brain-eating amoeba (broken link)

Associated Press Sept. 26, 2007 04:39 PM

It seemed like a headache, nothing more.
Moderator cut: do not repost copyrighted articles

More info:
Division of Parasitic Diseases - Naegleria Infection Fact Sheet
Division of Parasitic Diseases - More Information: Naegleria Infection
Naegleria

A case in Italy: Naegleria fowleri Meningoencephalitis | CDC EID

Some hope of detecting infected waters:
Rapid Detection and Enumeration of Naegleria fowleri in Surface Waters by Solid-Phase Cytometry -- Pougnard et al. 68 (6): 3102 -- Applied and Environmental Microbiology

[Keeper]

Several years ago in FL they said they think the parasite is on the bottom of lakes and when people dive in the water and/or disturb the bottom by swimming underwater is how and why some people get it, especially boys since they tend to do things like dive into lakes and go to the bottom.