Brain-eating amoeba: Warning issued in Florida after rare infection case

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53302773


6 July 2020


The Florida Department of Health (DOH) said one person in Hillsborough County had contracted Naegleria fowleri.

The microscopic, single-celled amoeba can cause an infection of the brain, and is usually fatal.

Commonly found in warm freshwater, the amoeba enters the body through the nose.

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given the potentially deadly consequences of infection, the DOH issued a warning to residents of Hillsborough County on 3 July.

Health officials urged locals to avoid nasal contact with water from taps and other sources.

This includes bodies of open water such as lakes, rivers, ponds and canals, where infections are more likely in the warmer summer months of July, August and September.

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