An adult Missouri resident is hospitalized in intensive care with a rare and often deadly brain infection caused by Naegleria fowleri, state health officials said.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said the patient has primary amebic meningoencephalitis, or PAM, which occurs when water containing the amoeba enters the nose. While the source is still under investigation, health officials say preliminary information indicates the person may have been water skiing at the Lake of the Ozarks days before becoming ill.
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Naegleria fowleri is naturally found in warm freshwater, such as lakes, rivers and ponds, but infections are extremely rare. Fewer than 10 PAM cases are reported in the United States each year. From 1962 to 2024, there have been 167 known cases nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Symptoms typically appear within days of infection, and include severe headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, stiff neck, seizures, altered mental status and hallucinations.
Health officials say people can protect themselves by holding their nose shut or using a nose clip when in warm freshwater.
