S8 E2: Brain Suckers: The Story of Naegleria fowleri

Brain Eating Amoeba Show Notes: You can reach me on the website at http://www.causeofdeath100secs.net or you can email me at mailto:[e-mail]. My Link Tree can be found at: https://linktr.ee/CauseofDeathpod This season is called “Creepy Crawlies” and today, I’m going to be talking about one of the strangest and most dangerous among them, Naegleria fowleri. This animal is the brain eater that’s made a huge splash, pun intended, in the media over the last couple of years. While this organism thrives in temperatures above 80° Fahrenheit, it can be found in lake or river sediment at temperatures well below that. The mortality rate for PAM is roughly 97% with only four people out of 157 having survived in the US between 1962 and 2022. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350905632_Naegleria_fowleri_Sources_of_infection_pathophysiology_diagnosis_and_management_a_review https://www.thoughtco.com/the-life-of-an-amoeba-4054288 https://www.thoughtco.com/what-are-cells-373361 https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/naegleria/general.html https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/naegleria/index.html https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/infections/Pages/naegleria-fowleri-the-brain-eating-amoeba-how-to-prevent-this-rare-infection.aspx https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK535447/ https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/naegleria/index.html https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/publications/p01085.pdf https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9964342/ https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/laboratory-biosafety-biosecurity/pathogen-safety-data-sheets-risk-assessment/naegleria-fowleri.html https://www.tceq.texas.gov/toxicology/q-a/amoeba https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/public-health/why-brain-eating-amoeba-infections-are-becoming-more-common.html https://weather.com/health/video/rare-brain-eating-amoeba-cases-could-rise-due-to-climate-change?cm_ven=PS_GGL_DSA_09162019_1&par=MK_GGL&tpcc=mktg-search-Google-acquisition&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAuYuvBhApEiwAzq_YiUAkKam_smsl0ezdn7j4gstP7QyZTDtoE5uFzjHC_5siNsBL80-DpxoCdt4QAvD_BwE https://www.science.org/content/article/repurposed-drug-battles-brain-eating-amoeba https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7783332/ https://byjus.com/biology/amoeba/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31612525/#:~:text=Though%20the%20exact%20pathogenesis%20of,pathogen%20invading%20the%20host%20CNS. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604384/ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0001706X16305897 https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acschemneuro.6b00232 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1440-1681.13192 https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/223910-overview?form=fpf https://academic.oup.com/femspd/article/51/2/243/888715 https://academic.oup.com/f https://journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.1128/aac.01293-15 https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/naegleria-fowleri https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11684-021-0865-2 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350905632_Naegleria_fowleri_Sources_of_infection_pathophysiology_diagnosis_and_management_a_review https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Reported-cases-of-primary-amebic-meningoencephalitis-n-381-by-country-of-exposure-No_fig1_341190198 https://applications.emro.who.int/imemrf/Parasitologists_United_J/Parasitologists_United_J_2012_5_2_93_104.pdf https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-73772-5_88 https://www.academia.edu/70102030/A_Review_on_Global_Distribution_of_Primary_Amoebic_Meningoencephalitis_PAM_Caused_By_Naegleria_Fowleri_The_Brain_Eating_Amoeba https://acsw.dypvp.edu.in/documents/Study-Material/Microbiology-TYBSc/Entamoeba-histolytica.pdf https://doh.wa.gov/sites/default/files/legacy/Documents/5100/420-002-epitrends2019-03.pdf https://acsw.dypvp.edu.in/documents/Study-Material/Microbiology-TYBSc/Entamoeba-histolytica.pdf   Darkcast Network – Promo by Yours Truly Podcast Promos: Rogue Darkness Hands Off My Podcast Weird True Crime Sponsors: True Leaf Market https://trueleafmarket.com use promo code COFD 10 at checkout for $10 off any order of $50 or more. Music: There is No Sequel by Philip Ayers You can reach me on: Instagram: @CauseofDeathpod Threads: @causeofdeathpodcast FB: @COD100Secs Twitter: @CauseofDeath10 TikTok: @causeofdeath100secs Please don’t forget to rate and review on any of the platforms found here: http://www.causeofdeath100secs.net You can support Cause of Death here: Subscribe on Apple Subscriptions Patreon: https://www.Patreon.com/JackieMoranty Ko-Fi: https://www.ko-fi.com/causeofdeathluckycharmsunplugg Merch can be found at: https://www.teepublic.com/user/causeofdeathluckycharmsunplugged Please share this podcast with everyone you know. Cause of Death – 100 Seconds to Midnight is a proud member of the Darkcast Network. Find us at @darkcastnetwork on Twitter and @DarkcastNetwork on Facebook. I am also a proud member of the Ossa Collective Network. Cause of Death – 100 Seconds to Midnight can be found o