Pondering the Origin of the Brain-Eating Amoeba
For some reason, I found the subject matter of the so-called brain-eating amoeba ( Naegleria fowleri ) rather unsettling. The science behind it is interesting. Amoebas are single-celled organisms, and infections from these are usually fatal. Fortunately, they are rare. But where did they come from? The "brain-eating" part of the name is wrong. The nasty things enter through the nasal cavity and infect the host's brain resulting in primary amebic meningoencephalitis. These amoebas are in contaminated warm fresh water or hot springs. Processing a sample for detection of N. fowleri Credit: USGS / Peter Wright , WY-MT Water Science Center (Usage does not imply endorsement of site contents) I found it interesting that drinking the water does not cause this particular disease. Take a look at this PDF from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Don't get on the prod about all amoebas, as many of them are beneficial and eat bacteria that we're disinclin