A person in Florida has been infected with a rare brain-eating amoeba, according to state health officials.
On Friday, the Florida Department of Health confirmed one person in Hillsborough County has contracted Naegleria fowleri, a single-celled living organism that can cause a rare and almost always fatal infection of the brain called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM).
The agency did not give any more details on where this case was contracted or on the patient's condition.
Since 1962, there have been only 37 reported cases of the infection in Florida, health officials say.
The peak season for this amoeba is July, August and September, and it can typically be found in many warm freshwater lakes, ponds, canals and rivers throughout the United States. However, it is most commonly found in southern states.
It also resides in poorly maintained or minimally chlorinated swimming pools.
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Per the Florida Health Department, you cannot contract the amoeba by simply swallowing the water while you swim.
"Infections can happen when contaminated water enters the body through the nose," the health department said. "Once the amoeba enters the nose, it travels to the brain where it causes PAM."
Symptoms of brain-eating amoeba generally start one to nine days after nasal exposure and many people die within 18 days of showing symptoms, according to the CDC.
These include severe headaches, fever, nausea and vomiting in the first stage, and stiff neck, seizures, altered mental status, hallucinations and a coma in the second stage. Unfortunately, PAM, the infection caused from the amoeba, is ultimately hard to detect because of the rapid progression of the disease. Diagnosis is typically made postmortem.
Florida health officials urge anyone experiencing these symptoms after swimming in any warm body of water to contact their health care provider immediately.
"It is essential to seek medical attention right away, as the disease progresses rapidly after the start of symptoms," officials say.
Although infection is rare, there is currently no method to reduce the number of amoebas in water. The only guaranteed way to avoid a brain-eating amoeba infections is to refrain from participating in water-related activities in warm freshwater.
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