Two U.S. children die from rare brain-eating amoeba, scientists warn of climate link
Two children in the United States died within a week from infections caused by the rare Naegleria fowleri amoeba, prompting health experts to caution that warming temperatures could increase future cases.
Within a single week, two separate cases of fatal Naegleria fowleri infection were confirmed in the United States. The first victim was a teenage boy from North Carolina whose symptoms began with intense headache and rapidly worsened, leading to his death a few days after hospitalization. The second was an eight-year-old girl in Louisiana who succumbed to the infection earlier in August.
Both infections are linked to exposure to warm, still freshwater sources, with the North Carolina case likely tied to a community center water feature in Durham County. Scientists emphasize that while the amoeba is harmless when swallowed, it can be deadly if water enters the nasal passages and reaches the brain. They warn that rising temperatures from climate change may increase the frequency of such cases.
Why it matters
The deaths highlight a rare but deadly disease that could become more common as climate change warms freshwater habitats.
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