A tragic case has emerged in Slovakia where an 11-year-old boy from the Z�horie region (ErdQh�ti) died after being infected by a very rare and deadly brain-eating amoeba known as Naegleria fowleri reported by the Bratislava-based newspaper, Nov� as. The boy was admitted to hospital on Saturday after contracting the rare parasite, but despite intensive care, he succumbed to the infection on Tuesday.
Before falling ill, the boy had been swimming in the pools of the Vadas Bath in `t�rovo (P�rk�ny), where he was attending swimming lessons. Authorities are currently investigating whether the infection was contracted at this location. Laboratory tests are ongoing, with results expected no earlier than Friday. Meanwhile, the Vadas Bath has been ordered to remain closed until then, according to �j Sz�.
Naegleria fowleri, commonly referred to as the brain-eating amoeba, is a microscopic single-celled organism that thrives in warm freshwater environments such as lakes, rivers, hot springs, and inadequately chlorinated swimming pools. The parasite enters the human body through the nasal mucosa and can quickly travel to the brain, causing a fatal infection.
Infection occurs when contaminated, non-sterile water enters the noseoften during swimming, diving, or other water activities. It is important to note that the amoeba cannot survive in properly chlorinated water and is immediately killed in saltwater.
The infection caused by Naegleria fowleri is known as primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). Early symptoms mimic those of bacterial meningitis and include high fever, severe headache, nausea, vomiting, neck stiffness, confusion, seizures, and hallucinations. The disease progresses rapidly, usually leading to death within 5 to 7 days after symptoms appear.
Currently, there is no effective treatment for PAM, and the survival rate worldwide is less than 3%. The rapid onset and severity of symptoms make early diagnosis and intervention extremely challenging.
Although infections with Naegleria fowleri are extremely rare, climate change and rising global temperatures may increase the risk of such cases occurring in more northern regions. In Europe, fewer than 25 cases have been documented over the past decades, most linked to outdoor freshwater swimming during summer months.
The largest known outbreak in Europe occurred in the 1960s in former Czechoslovakia, when a cracked swimming pool wall led to contamination, resulting in 16 fatalities.
The District Public Health Authority of Nov� Z�mky (�rsek�jv�r) has informed the Vadas Bath about the suspected infection and is overseeing the ongoing laboratory investigations. The bath remains closed as a precaution until the results are finalized.
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Tags # children # health # Hungary # inpr # Slovakia
