南内华达州卫生区周三宣布，一名内华达州儿童在被一种“极其罕见”的食脑阿米巴原虫感染后死亡。
该地区表示，内华达州克拉克县的居民可能在10月份接触了阿米巴原虫，该阿米巴原虫被鉴定为Naegleria fowleri，位于米德湖亚利桑那州一侧。
“我向这位年轻人的家人表示哀悼，”SNHD的地区卫生官员Fermin Leguen博士在一份声明中说新闻稿。“虽然我想让公众放心，这种类型的感染是极其罕见的，但我知道此时这不会给他的家人和朋友带来安慰。”
根据疾病控制和预防中心的说法，当被污染的水通过鼻子进入人体时，人们会被阿米巴原虫感染，通常是通过游泳、潜水或把头埋在水下。
根据SNHD的说法，奈格勒氏菌感染可导致头痛，发烧，恶心，呕吐，落枕，癫痫发作和昏迷，可导致死亡。
根据SNHD的说法，患者在暴露一周后开始出现症状。
“一旦症状开始，疾病进展迅速，通常会在大约五天内导致死亡，”该区说。
一旦确诊，奈格勒氏菌很难治疗，洛杉矶急诊内科医生兼ABC新闻医学撰稿人达连·萨顿说，去年说的。一旦它进入大脑，就会导致某种形式的脑膜炎，一旦患者出现症状，往往为时已晚，无法挽救。
根据CDC的说法，在世界各地温暖的淡水和土壤中都发现了奈格勒氏菌。在美国，它在温暖的月份里生长旺盛。
专家表示，气候变化可能会对游泳者造成威胁生命的风险，因为水传播的病原体在日益变暖的海水中繁殖更快。
南佛罗里达大学(University of South Florida)的传染病专家和医学教授桑德拉·冈普夫(Sandra Gompf)博士去年告诉美国广播公司新闻(ABC News)，科学家越来越担心危险病原体的可能性，如奈格勒氏菌和食肉细菌创伤弧菌。
Water level dropped at Colorado River as seen during drought season, in South Cove of Arizona, August 24, 2022.
阿纳多卢图片社
NPS在一份新闻稿中说，国家公园管理局仍将允许在米德湖休闲游泳，因为阿米巴原虫对环境是自然的，很少引起疾病。
NPS的美国公共卫生服务官员玛丽亚博士补充说:“然而，娱乐用水者应该随时假设他们进入温暖的淡水是有风险的。”
Child dies from brain-eating amoeba in 'rare' infection, health officials say
A Nevada child died after being infected by a brain-eating amoeba in an "extremely rare" occurrence, the Southern Nevada Health District announced on Wednesday.
The district said that the Clark County, Nevada, resident might have been exposed to the amoeba, which it identified as Naegleria fowleri, on the Arizona side of Lake Mead in October.
"My condolences go out to the family of this young man," Dr. Fermin Leguen, the district health officer for SNHD, said in apress release."While I want to reassure the public that this type of infection is an extremely rare occurrence, I know this brings no comfort to his family and friends at this time."
People can become infected by the amoeba when contaminated water enters the body through the nose, usually from swimming, diving or putting their heads underneath the water, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
An infection from Naegleria fowleri can cause headaches, fever, nausea, vomiting, stiff neck, seizures and coma that can lead to death, according to SNHD.
According to SNHD, the patient began to develop symptoms a week after exposure.
"Once symptoms start, the disease progresses rapidly and usually causes death within about five days," the district said.
Once diagnosed, Naegleria fowleri is very difficult to treat, Darien Sutton, a Los Angeles emergency medicine physician and ABC News medical contributor,said last year.Once it enters the brain, it causes a form of meningitis, and once the patient is exhibiting symptoms it's often too late to save them.
According to the CDC, Naegleria fowleri is found in warm fresh water and soil around the world. In the U.S., it thrives during the warmer months.
Experts said that climate changemight contribute to life-threatening risks for swimmers as waterborne pathogens flourish and multiply faster in increasingly warming waters.
Scientists are becoming increasingly concerned about the possibility of dangerous pathogens, such as Naegleria fowleri, and Vibrio vulnificus, a flesh-eating bacteria, Dr. Sandra Gompf, an infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at the University of South Florida, told ABC News last year.
The National Park Service will still allow recreational swimming at Lake Mead since the amoeba is natural to the environment and rarely causes disease, NPS said in a news release.
"However, recreational water users should always assume there is a risk anytime they enter warm fresh water," Dr. Maria Said, a U.S public health service officer with the NPS, added.
