Survivalists!; Brain Eating Amoeba; Do NOT dive in warm water lakes!!

I was watching Doomsday Preppers and saw a guy with an army of "survivalist" teens diving in warm water lakes. This is a bad idea seeing as it can very well be a death sentence. This Amoeba goes up your nose, into your brain, and you will die...while it is rare it is still a very well possibility of happening.

Naegleria fowleri

The critter's formal name is Naegleria fowleri. While not actually a true amoeba, for all intents and purposes, it acts like one.

This wonder of nature lives in warm, shallow stagnant pools of water. Ponds and minimal moving rivers are favorite hangouts. The transmission occurs when water is pushed up into the nose, say by dunk, dive or other submersion. Once solidly "up there", the amoeba pierces through the nose lining into the cribiform plate (at the brain interface). Then it's up the nerve fibers, munching brain cells along the way. Happy day for Mr. Naegleria. As a result of ongoing inflammation and destruction, the poor victim becomes increasingly obtunded. Brain death ensues and so does death in 98% of those infected. The pathology is called Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM).

Nine year old Christian Slater of Virginia is the latest decedent reported. He had been attending a fishing camp just the week before taking ill. No doubt that he had been in the James River waters and had been reportedly submerged. Authorities there say it is impossible to know exactly where he contracted his infection. www2.timesdispatch.com...

Symptoms begin within a day or up to a week after exposure. There is no treatment of worth! Avoidance is the only sure-fire means to prevent the infection. For parents, keep your kids out of ponds and waters, which are stagnant. If the kids can't resist, no dunking or head submersion. Nose and ear plugs are seemingly useful.

Death estimates for the last 50 years approximate 100. 100? With the death of a Florida girl, Courtney Nash, last week and that of Kyle Lewis eleven months ago (Texas), it is difficult to believe there have only been 100 deaths in 50 years. Is this infection under diagnosed?

www.pplume-blog.com...
en.wikipedia.org...
www.cdc.gov...

Monsters Inside Me - Brain-eating amoeba




Brain-eating amoeba kills teen, 9-year-old

Brain-eating amoeba' kills third person - Virginia
today.msnbc.msn.com...-cHesTng

Brain-eating" amoeba kills 10 in Pakistan: How rare is it?
www.cbsnews.com...

Tap water in neti pots behind two brain-eating amoeba deaths in 2011- Louisiana
www.cbsnews.com...

While it is rare to contract, it still happens. I would invest in some nose plugs, it could save your life.

www, this is the first time to hear from you ... good info! PERTAMAX

This is why I've always hated lakes. Well, at least swimming in them. I swam in a few lakes as a kid, and every time I walked or jumped into them I got this very eerie feeling that my body was about to be swarmed by flesh-eating microbes. Or that I'd be sucked down by some grotesque creature. One time I had a particularly disturbing experience where I was walking in a shallow area of a lake/pond, and suddenly I felt myself fall down. My feet had slipped into this hole in the sand that was lined with slimy plants & sharp objects. Fortunately I was quick enough to avoid not actually falling into it, and I didn't even know how deep it was.

Something about large bodies of water gives me the heebie jeebies.. the darkness, the fact that your body is in a mass of fluid with any number or type of creature dwelling inside. Makes me feel vulnerable & exposed.

reply to post by ShotGunRum


Dammit. Oh wait I cant swim. whew.
Hey wait a minute. A few things come to mind.
People use water from lakes, how do these things hold up against that purification process?

I moved from Richmond 2 years ago and while it was fun to hang out on the river I avoided getting my head under the water since i got sinus infections nearly every time I did. Good to know I was avoiding something else much nastier than broken glass and dead cows in the water.

Still water is rarely safe to drink as most survivalists worth their salt know. But if that's the only water you have just treat accordingly and you should be alright. That's why a water purifier is better than having to boil your water since it's sure to remove any encysted bacteria or viruses.

WOW! I hadn't heard of this.

S&F for teaching me something new today.

Rev

I think it's odd that California has a problem with brain eating amoebas. Seems to me that they would all go extinct from the lack of food.

reply to post by Nephalim


The warning isn't to not drink it (after its been purified). The warning is to not swim in it. This same brain-eater has taken lives from municipal water supplies when people take that water and use the nasal cleaners to rinse the water up one nostril and out the other. Unfortunately, the critter stays in your head and starts chowing-down on your grey-matter. That's why the instructions direct the user to boil the water first.

Personally, when I need to "cleanse" my sinuses, I eat a few hot peppers, then blow my nose!

this reminds me of a movie I recently watched called "the bay" pretty sick movie and a similar kind of thing


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

Ugh Swimming in lakes is something we do every summer. How am I gonna enjoy this now?

Originally posted by Malynn
Ugh

Swimming in lakes is something we do every summer. How am I gonna enjoy this now?

If something bad does happen, just don't "think" about it

But seriously, thanks for the post OP

reply to post by ShotGunRum

Earlier this summer a family friend lost his son to this brain eating amoeba.
www.wltx.com...

He was in Lake Marion near Manning, SC when he got the infection. The water was extremely low and hot when this happened. Such a tragedy.

reply to post by Nephalim


The only way you can get it is if you get water or contaminated soil up your nose. It can't survive in properly chlorinated pools of if you boil the water. I'd make sure to boil it though.

Originally posted by hamdoguhoh
reply to post by ShotGunRum

 

Earlier this summer a family friend lost his son to this brain eating amoeba.
www.wltx.com...

He was in Lake Marion near Manning, SC when he got the infection. The water was extremely low and hot when this happened. Such a tragedy.

Wow, that's awful, such a tragedy.

The water being low and hot is what raised his chances of getting it. It's concentrated in the soil so be careful if you are swimming not to kick up any mud.

Originally posted by Malynn
Ugh

Swimming in lakes is something we do every summer. How am I gonna enjoy this now?

Make sure to wear a good pair of nose plugs.

reply to post by therealdemoboy




Yeah, multiple people have died from using Neti Pots and contracting the Amoeba.



Tap water in neti pots behind two brain-eating amoeba deaths in 2011, investigation finds
www.cbsnews.com...

reply to post by ShotGunRum


Well, reading more carefully I guess this is mostly warm water then right? Most of the lakes I swim in (in WI) could not be categorized as warm. They're usually spring fed and cool or cold even in the summer. Food for thought though.

reply to post by ShotGunRum



sweet jesus is that freaky.

A quick search on the CDC website says that it's frequently misdiagnosed as bacterial meningitis. My armchair speculation would be that the recent spike in deaths is attributed to:

1. A mutation that has resulted in a meaner, tougher, variation of amoeba.
2. Better diagnostic techniques are now accurately classifying these cases as parasitic whereas previously they would have been misdiagnosed as bacterial.
3. Some combination thereof.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go finish packing. I'm moving to the northernmost outpost in Canada tomorrow morning where the water never thaws.

Originally posted by Malynn
reply to post by ShotGunRum

 

Well, reading more carefully I guess this is mostly warm water then right? Most of the lakes I swim in (in WI) could not be categorized as warm. They're usually spring fed and cool or cold even in the summer. Food for thought though.

Greetings fellow wisconsinite.

reply to post by ShotGunRum


31 people have died in dog attacks this year. Better keep an eye on your beagle or better yet send it to the pound. .