~ Naegleria Fowleri ~

During the dog days of summer many of us go to local Lake Elsinore, Lake Perris, or travel out to Lake Havasu. As a matter of fact, my family and I just returned from a wonderful week at Lake Havasu where we spend our family vacation every year (thanks Mom and Pop). I honestly can't think of a better way to beat the heat than by swimming, boating, skiing, or just splashing around in the warm water.

Although the risks are very small, one thing we all need to be aware of is a nasty little bug called Naegleria Fowleri (or N. Fowleri) which is also known as the brain eating amoeba. N. Fowleri enters the brain through the nose while swimming, splashing, or playing in the water, and once there, it's fatal.

Last summer 14-year old Aaron Evans spent his birthday swimming in Lake Havasu with his family. He died nine days later from N. Fowleri, with the only symptom being a headache. When the cause of death was determined, many of the nurses had never heard of the parasite.

A few days ago, a 9-year old Lake Elsinore boy became the latest victim to die from N. Fowleri. County Health Officials won't confirm where the boy came in contact with the amoeba, but he swam at Lake Elsinore several times this summer.

Of the reported 119 people who have contracted N. Fowleri, 118 have died, usually within 3-7 days of infection. Although N. Fowleri is very scary, the chances of dying from this amoeba are actually quite small, and staying safe while swimming fairly easy. To get more information on N. Fowleri read this article from WebMD, or visit the Center For Disease Control website.

Regardless of whether you decide to read these articles and reports or not, please keep your nose plugged when you swim in any fresh water lake, as it may be a matter of life or death.

~ Jody ~