Balamuthia mandrillaris is a free-living ameba that causes rare, nearly always fatal disease in humans and animals worldwide. B. mandrillaris has been isolated from soil, dust, and water. Initial entry of Balamuthia into the body is likely via the skin or lungs.

According to a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study, there has been 109 case reports of Balamuthia disease between 1974 and 2016.

In a very unique Balamuthia case reported in a manuscript to be published in the journal, International Journal of Infectious Diseases, researchers present a case of a 69-year old female who presented with a chronic nasal skin rash, a new onset focal seizure, and a cerebral ring-enhancing lesion after a year of improper nasal irrigation. Despite aggressive and novel anti-amoebic treatment, she succumbed to a fatal Balamuthia mandrillaris brain infection.

Image/CDC
Image/CDC