The Costa Rican Ministry of Health is requesting a hotel in the north where there are hot springs, to warn swimmers about the presence of a dangerous amoeba, Naegleria fowleri, in its waters. This follows the July death of an 11-year-old Florida boy , Jordan Smelski who contracted the deadly parasite while vacationing in the Central American country.
According to a La Nacion report today (computer translated), Mary Ethel Trejos, responsible for Health Surveillance said the place where the American family stayed (in La Fortuna de San Carlos) had the presence of the Naegleria amoebae in hot springs. She says it was not found swimming pools, showers or other water sources. Trejos notes that the University of Costa Rica will be testing other water sites for the amoeba.
Naegleria fowleri is a microscopic amoeba which is a single-celled living organism. It can cause a rare and devastating infection of the brain called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). The amoeba is commonly found in warm freshwater such as lakes, rivers, ponds and canals. Infections can happen when contaminated water enters the body through the nose. Once the amoeba enters the nose, it travels to the brain where it causes PAM (which destroys brain tissue) and is usually fatal. Infections usually occur when it is hot for prolonged periods of time, which results in higher water temperatures and lower water levels.
Naegleria fowleri infections are rare. Most infections occur from exposure to contaminated recreational water. Cases due to the use of neti pots and the practice of ablution have been documented. You cannot be infected with Naegleria fowleri by drinking contaminated water and the amoeba is not found in salt water.
The practice of ablution is included in Yogic, Ayurvedic, and Islamic traditions. Within the Islamic faith, ritual nasal rinsing is included in a cleansing process called “wudu” or “ablution.” It is usually performed several times a day in preparation for prayer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Initial symptoms of PAM usually start within 1 to 7 days after infection. The initial symptoms may include headache, fever, nausea, or vomiting. Other symptoms can include stiff neck, confusion, loss ofbalance, seizures, and hallucinations. After the start of symptoms, the disease progresses rapidly. For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page
According to the CDC in the past 50 years alone there have been 134 deaths from this microbe in the United States, for although the presence of amoeba is common, the risk of infection is “unusual.”
So do hospitals in Costa Rica carry the anti-amoeba medication miltefosine? The hospitals in America typically don’t.
The U.S has Chiggers. Get one on you and it can fester and fester until you lose your vision. I lost my left eye. I begged and pleaded with the ER to please help me but not one doctor even tried to help. They sent me on my way with “ointment”. Typical doctor laziness and burnout. I suffered for months and practically begged countless doctors to help me. I had Chiggers develop under my skin in my ear. I was stung non-stop for months. Praying sure as hell didn’t help since god has left us all here to fend for ourselves and suffer.