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Jennifer R Cope - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • A case report of Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis in North Florida
    'Elsevier BV', 2021
    Co-Authors: Saad K. Anjum, Jennifer R Cope, Karna Mangrola, Garrett Fitzpatrick, Kimberly Stockdale, Laura Matthias, Ibne Karim M. Ali, Kevin O’laughlin, Shelley Collins, Stacy G. Beal
    Abstract:

    Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis is a rare, usually fatal disease, caused by Naegleria fowleri. This case highlights the challenging clinicopathologic diagnosis in a 13-year-old boy who swam in freshwater in northern Florida where a previous case had exposure to a body of water on the same property in 2009

  • geographic range of recreational water associated Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis united states 1978 2018
    Emerging Infectious Diseases, 2021
    Co-Authors: Radhika Gharpure, Jonathan S Yoder, Ibne Karim M. Ali, Michelle E Gleason, Zainab Salah, Anna J Blackstock, David Hesshomeier, Sarah A Collier, Jennifer R Cope
    Abstract:

    Naegleria fowleri is a free-living ameba that causes Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM), a rare but usually fatal disease. We analyzed trends in recreational water exposures associated with PAM cases reported during 1978-2018 in the United States. Although PAM incidence remained stable, the geographic range of exposure locations expanded northward.

  • epidemiology and clinical characteristics of Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis caused by naegleria fowleri a global review
    Clinical Infectious Diseases, 2020
    Co-Authors: Radhika Gharpure, Jonathan S Yoder, Ibne Karim M. Ali, John Bliton, Alexandra Goodman, Jennifer R Cope
    Abstract:

    Background Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM) is a rapidly progressive and often fatal condition caused by the free-living ameba Naegleria fowleri. To estimate the global occurrence, characterize the epidemiology, and describe the clinical features of PAM, we report a series of PAM cases published in the international literature and reported to CDC. Methods We performed a literature search of PAM case reports published through 2018. Additionally, we included cases reported through CDC's Free-Living Ameba surveillance or diagnosed via CDC's Free-Living and Intestinal Amebas Laboratory. Cases were classified as confirmed, probable, or suspect on the basis of confirmatory testing, presentation, exposure, and disease course. Results A total of 381 PAM cases were identified. From 1965 to 2016, the number of reported cases increased an average of 1.6% per year. Seven reported survivors were classified as confirmed.The most commonly reported exposure associated with PAM was swimming/diving, and the most common class of water source was lakes/ponds/reservoirs. Patients were predominantly male (75%), with a median age of 14 years. Confirmed and probable cases were similar in their survival, course of illness, and CSF findings. Conclusions PAM is a rare but deadly disease with worldwide occurrence. Improved clinician awareness, resulting in earlier diagnosis and treatment, may contribute to increased survival among PAM patients. The probable case definition used in this study appears to capture cases of PAM, as evidenced by similarities in outcomes, clinical course, and CSF profile to confirmed cases. In the absence of confirmatory testing, clinicians could use this case definition to identify cases of PAM.

  • Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis associated with rafting on an artificial whitewater river case report and environmental investigation
    Clinical Infectious Diseases, 2018
    Co-Authors: Jennifer R Cope, Jennifer L Murphy, Ibne Karim M. Ali, Amy M Kahler, Daniel Gorbett, Brandi Taylor, Lisa Corbitt, Shantanu Roy, Nicole Lee, Dawn M Roellig
    Abstract:

    Background Naegleria fowleri is a thermophilic ameba found in freshwater that causes Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM) when it enters the nose and migrates to the brain. Patient exposure to water containing the ameba typically occurs in warm freshwater lakes and ponds during recreational water activities. In June 2016, an 18-year-old woman died of PAM after traveling to North Carolina, where she participated in rafting on an artificial whitewater river.

  • estimation of undiagnosed naegleria fowleri Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis united states1
    Emerging Infectious Diseases, 2018
    Co-Authors: Almea Matanock, Jason M Mehal, Lindy Liu, Diana M Blau, Jennifer R Cope
    Abstract:

    Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis is an acute, rare, typically fatal disease. We used epidemiologic risk factors and multiple cause-of-death mortality data to estimate the number of deaths that fit the typical pattern for Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis; we estimated an annual average of 16 deaths (8 male, 8 female) in the United States.

G. S. Visvesvara - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • successful treatment of an adolescent with naegleria fowleri Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis
    Pediatrics, 2015
    Co-Authors: Matthew W Linam, Jennifer R Cope, Mubbasheer Ahmed, Yvonne Qvarnstrom, Alexandre J. Da Silva, G. S. Visvesvara, Jerril Green
    Abstract:

    Naegleria fowleri is a thermophilic, free-living ameba that causes Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis. The infections are nearly always fatal. We present the third well-documented survivor of this infection in North America. The patient’s survival most likely resulted from a variety of factors: early identification and treatment, use of a combination of antimicrobial agents (including miltefosine), and management of elevated intracranial pressure based on the principles of traumatic brain injury.

  • Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis caused by naegleria fowleri karachi pakistan
    Emerging Infectious Diseases, 2011
    Co-Authors: Sadia Shakoor, Syed Faisal Mahmood, Rebecca Bandea, Rama Sriram, Fatima Noman, G. S. Visvesvara, Afia Zafar
    Abstract:

    We report 13 cases of Naegleria fowleri Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis in persons in Karachi, Pakistan, who had no history of aquatic activities. Infection likely occurred through ablution with tap water. An increase in Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis cases may be attributed to rising temperatures, reduced levels of chlorine in potable water, or deteriorating water distribution systems. P rimary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM) is a fatal disease caused by the thermotolerant free-living ameba Naegleria fowleri. Found worldwide in moist soil and freshwater, these amebae proliferate during summer when ambient temperature increases. The organism enters the nasal cavity when water contaminated with amebae is aspirated. Subsequently, it invades the central nervous system through the olfactory neuroepithelium and causes a fatal infection that clinically resembles acute bacterial meningitis. We report 13 cases of N. fowleri PAM in a period of 17 months in the coastal city of Karachi, Pakistan. The Study

  • isolation and molecular typing of naegleria fowleri from the brain of a cow that died of Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis
    Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 2005
    Co-Authors: G. S. Visvesvara, Rama Sriram, Johan F. De Jonckheere, B M Daft
    Abstract:

    Naegleria fowleri causes an acute and rapidly fatal central nervous system infection called Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM) in healthy children and young adults. We describe here the identification of N. fowleri isolated from the brain of one of several cows that died of PAM based on sequencing of the internal transcribed spacers, including the 5.8S rRNA genes.

  • fatal naegleria fowleri Meningoencephalitis italy
    Emerging Infectious Diseases, 2004
    Co-Authors: Paola Cogo, Mauro Scaglia, Flavio Rossetti, Anna Maria Laverda, Rita Alaggio, Ling Zhou, Lihua Xiao, S Gatti, G. S. Visvesvara
    Abstract:

    We report the first case of Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis in Italy, in a 9-year-old boy. Clinical course was fulminant, and diagnosis was made by identifying amebas in stained brain sections and by indirect immunofluorescence analysis. Naegleria fowleri was characterized as genotype I on the basis of polymerase chain reaction test results.

  • Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis due to naegleria fowleri in a south american tapir
    Veterinary Pathology, 1997
    Co-Authors: Fernando Lozanoalarcon, Gregory A Bradley, B S Houser, G. S. Visvesvara
    Abstract:

    Naegleria fowleri, Acanthamoeba spp., and Balamuthia mandrillaris are known to cause fatal central nervous system (CNS) disease in human beings. N. fowleri causes acute, fulminating Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM), which generally leads to death within 10 days. Acanthamoeba spp. and B. mandrillaris cause chronic granulomatous Amebic encephalitis, which may last for 8 weeks. Acanthamoeba spp. and B. mandrillaris also cause CNS disease in animals. N. fowleri, however, has been described only in human beings. This report is the first of PAM in an animal, a South American tapir. Dry cough, lethargy, and coma developed in the animal, and its condition progressed to death. At necropsy, lesions were seen in the cerebrum, cerebellum, and lungs. The CNS had severe, suppurative Meningoencephalitis with many neutrophils, fibrin, plasma cells, and amebas. Amebas were 6.5 μm to 9 μm in diameter and had a nucleus containing a large nucleolus. Amebas in the sections reacted with a monoclonal antibody specific f...

Vincent R. Hill - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • a case of Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis caused by naegleria fowleri in bangladesh
    Parasitology Research, 2020
    Co-Authors: Hossain M S Sazzad, Vincent R. Hill, Mahmudur Rahman, James J Sejvar, Emily S Gurley, Stephen P Luby, Jennifer L Murphy
    Abstract:

    We present the first recognized case of Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM) caused by Naegleria fowleri in a 15-year-old male from Bangladesh. He performed daily nasal rinsing with untreated ground water and bathed in untreated ground water or river water, which likely exposed him to N. fowleri.

  • Research Article Improved Method for the Detection and Quantification of Naegleria fowleri in Water and Sediment Using Immunomagnetic Separation and Real-Time PCR
    2016
    Co-Authors: Bonnie J. Mull, Jothikumar Narayanan, Vincent R. Hill
    Abstract:

    which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM) is a rare and typically fatal infection caused by the thermophilic free-living ameba, Naegleria fowleri. In 2010, the first confirmed case of PAM acquired in Minnesota highlighted the need for improved detection and quantification methods in order to study the changing ecology of N. fowleri and to evaluate potential risk factors for increased exposure. An immunomagnetic separation (IMS) procedure and real-time PCR TaqMan assay were developed to recover and quantify N. fowleri in water and sediment samples. When one liter of lake water was seeded with N. fowleri strain CDC:V212, the method had an average recovery of 46 % and detection limit of 14 amebas per liter of water. The method was then applied to sediment and water samples with unknown N. fowleri concentrations, resulting in positive direct detections by real-time PCR in 3 out of 16 samples and confirmation of N. fowleri culture in 6 of 16 samples. This study has resulted in a new method for detection and quantification ofN. fowleri in water and sediment that should be a useful tool to facilitate studies of the physical, chemical, and biological factors associated with the presence and dynamics of N. fowleri in environmental systems. 1

  • notes from the field Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis associated with exposure to swimming pool water supplied by an overland pipe inyo county california 2015
    Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 2016
    Co-Authors: Richard O Johnson, Jennifer R Cope, Vincent R. Hill, Amy M Kahler, Marvin Moskowitz, Kaleigh Behrendt, Louis Molina, Kathleen E Fullerton, Michael J Beach
    Abstract:

    On June 17, 2015, a previously healthy woman aged 21 years went to an emergency department after onset of headache, nausea, and vomiting during the preceding 24 hours. Upon evaluation, she was vomiting profusely and had photophobia and nuchal rigidity. Analysis of cerebrospinal fluid was consistent with meningitis.* She was empirically treated for bacterial and viral Meningoencephalitis. Her condition continued to decline, and she was transferred to a higher level of care in another facility on June 19, but died shortly thereafter. Cultures of cerebrospinal fluid and multiple blood specimens were negative, and tests for West Nile, herpes simplex, and influenza viruses were negative. No organisms were seen in the cerebrospinal fluid; however, real-time polymerase chain reaction testing by CDC was positive for Naegleria fowleri, a free-living thermophilic ameba found in warm freshwater that causes Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis, an almost universally fatal infection.

  • comparison of real time pcr methods for the detection of naegleria fowleri in surface water and sediment
    Parasitology Research, 2015
    Co-Authors: Ashleigh Streby, Bonnie J. Mull, Karen Levy, Vincent R. Hill
    Abstract:

    Naegleria fowleri is a thermophilic free-living ameba found in freshwater environments worldwide. It is the cause of a rare but potentially fatal disease in humans known as Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis. Established N. fowleri detection methods rely on conventional culture techniques and morphological examination followed by molecular testing. Multiple alternative real-time PCR assays have been published for rapid detection of Naegleria spp. and N. fowleri. Foursuch assays were evaluated for the detection of N. fowleri from surface water and sediment. The assays were compared for thermodynamic stability, analytical sensitivity and specificity, detection limits, humic acid inhibition effects, and performance with seeded environmental matrices. Twenty-one ameba isolates were included in the DNA panel used for analytical sensitivity and specificity analyses. N. fowleri genotypes I and III were used for method performance testing. Two of the real-time PCR assays were determined to yield similar performance data for specificity and sensitivity for detecting N. fowleri in environmental matrices.

  • the first association of a Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis death with culturable naegleria fowleri in tap water from a us treated public drinking water system
    Clinical Infectious Diseases, 2015
    Co-Authors: Jennifer R Cope, Vincent R. Hill, Raoult Ratard, Theresa Sokol, Jonathan Jake Causey, Jonathan S Yoder, Gayatri Mirani, Bonnie Mull, Kimberly Mukerjee, Jothikumar Narayanan
    Abstract:

    Background Naegleria fowleri is a climate-sensitive, thermophilic ameba found in warm, freshwater lakes and rivers. Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM), which is almost universally fatal, occurs when N. fowleri–containing water enters the nose, typically during swimming, and N. fowleri migrates to the brain via the olfactory nerve. In August 2013, a 4-year-old child died of Meningoencephalitis of unknown etiology in a Louisiana hospital.

Govinda S. Visvesvara - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • use of the novel therapeutic agent miltefosine for the treatment of Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis report of 1 fatal and 1 surviving case
    Clinical Infectious Diseases, 2016
    Co-Authors: Jennifer R Cope, Dennis A Conrad, Naiomi Cohen, Manuel Cotilla, Alexandre J Dasilva, Jonathan W Jackson, Govinda S. Visvesvara
    Abstract:

    Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM) is a fulminant central nervous system infection caused by the thermophilic free-living ameba Naegleria fowleri. Few survivals have been documented and adequate treatment is lacking. We report 2 PAM cases, 1 fatal and 1 surviving, treated with the novel antiparasitic agent miltefosine.

  • Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis in florida a case report and epidemiological review of florida cases
    Journal of Environmental Health, 2013
    Co-Authors: Phillip Budge, Govinda S. Visvesvara, B Lazensky, K E Elliott, C A Dooyema, Michael J Beach, Jonathan S Yoder
    Abstract:

    Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM) is a rare but nearly always fatal infection of the central nervous system caused by the thermophilic, free-living ameba Naegleria fowleri. Since its first description in 1965 through 2010, 118 cases have been reported in the U.S.; all cases are related to environmental exposure to warm freshwater; most have occurred in children and adolescents and are associated with recreational water activities, such as swimming, diving, or playing in freshwater lakes, ponds, or rivers. Over one-fourth of all national PAM cases have occurred in Florida. The authors describe here a fatal case of PAM in a resident of northeast Florida and the ensuing environmental and public health investigation; they also provide a review of all cases of PAM in Florida from 1962 to 2010 and discuss public health responses to PAM in Florida, highlighting opportunities for positive collaboration between state and local environmental health specialists, epidemiologists, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

  • Fatal Naegleria fowleri Meningoencephalitis,
    2013
    Co-Authors: Paola Cogo, Flavio Rossetti, Anna Maria Laverda, Rita Alaggio, Ling Zhou, Lihua Xiao, S Gatti, Massimo Scaglia, Govinda S. Visvesvara
    Abstract:

    We report the first case of Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis in Italy, in a 9-year-old boy. Clinical course was fulminant, and diagnosis was made by identifying amebas in stained brain sections and by indirect immunofluorescence analysis. Naegleria fowleri was characterized as genotype I on the basis of polymerase chain reaction test results. Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM) is invariably an acute, often fulminant infection caused by Naegleria fowleri, a small, free-living ameba that occasionally infects humans and other mammals. Although rare (≈200 cases have been reported worldwide to date), PAM is frequently fatal, is difficult to diagnose, and does not have effective therapeutic options (1–5). Although more than half of PAM cases have occurred in the United States, infections have been registered in countries in every continent. In the past, cases of PAM were reported from Europe, especially from the Czech Republic, Belgium, and the United Kingdom (1). A single case of fatal opportunistic Acanthamoeba encephalitis in a patient with AIDS was documented in Italy in 1992 (6). We report the first case of PAM from Italy, diagnosed postmortem in an immunocompetent child who, most likely, acquired the infection in July 2003 after swimming in a polluted water hole of th

  • Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis deaths associated with sinus irrigation using contaminated tap water
    Clinical Infectious Diseases, 2012
    Co-Authors: Jonathan S Yoder, Vincent R. Hill, Govinda S. Visvesvara, Raoult Ratard, Susanne Straifbourgeois, Sharon L Roy, Thomas A Moore, Jon D Wilson, Andrea J Linscott, Ron Crager
    Abstract:

    Conclusions. These are the first reported PAM cases in the United States associated with the presence of N. fowleri in household plumbing served by treated municipal water supplies and the first reports of PAM potentially associated with the use of a nasal irrigation device. These cases occurred in the context of an expanding geographic range for PAM beyond southern tier states with recent case reports from Minnesota, Kansas, and Virginia. These infections introduce an additional consideration for physicians recommending nasal irrigation and demonstrate the importance of using appropriate water (distilled, boiled, filtered) for nasal irrigation. Furthermore, the changing epidemiology of PAM highlights the importance of raising awareness about this disease among physi

  • Histopathologic spectrum and immunohistochemical diagnosis of Amebic Meningoencephalitis
    Modern Pathology, 2007
    Co-Authors: Jeannette Guarner, Govinda S. Visvesvara, Jeanine Bartlett, Wun-ju Shieh, Christopher D Paddock, Sherif R Zaki
    Abstract:

    Traditionally, Naegleria fowleri infections are labeled Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis because of prominent meningeal neutrophilic inflammation. Acanthamoeba spp. and Balamuthia mandrillaris are labeled granulomatous Amebic encephalitis because of parenchymal granulomatous inflammation. We compared histopathologic and immunohistochemical features of 18 cases with central nervous system free-living ameba infections. Immunohistochemical assays using polyclonal antibodies that reacted specifically against each genus identified 11 patients with Balamuthia infection, four with N. fowleri, and three with Acanthamoeba . Immunohistochemical assays highlighted the presence of trophozoites that were difficult to identify with hematoxylin and eosin stains in areas of necrosis or where macrophages were abundant. Immunohistochemical assays also demonstrated the presence of granular antigens inside macrophages and blood vessel walls. Amebic cysts were observed in three patients with Acanthamoeba infection and in three with Balamuthia . Patients with Acanthamoeba infection showed granulomatous inflammation. Patients with Naegleria infection had neutrophilic inflammation. Balamuthia infections showed a spectrum of inflammation that ranged from primarily neutrophils to granulomas. Meningitis was present in 88% of cases. Immunohistochemical assays were useful to demonstrate the presence of granular antigens and confirmed the genus of the ameba. The spectrum of inflammation in cases of Balamuthia Meningoencephalitis is broader than previously described. The term Amebic Meningoencephalitis describes better the histopathologic findings than the currently used classification of Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis and granulomatous Amebic encephalitis.

Jonathan S Yoder - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • geographic range of recreational water associated Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis united states 1978 2018
    Emerging Infectious Diseases, 2021
    Co-Authors: Radhika Gharpure, Jonathan S Yoder, Ibne Karim M. Ali, Michelle E Gleason, Zainab Salah, Anna J Blackstock, David Hesshomeier, Sarah A Collier, Jennifer R Cope
    Abstract:

    Naegleria fowleri is a free-living ameba that causes Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM), a rare but usually fatal disease. We analyzed trends in recreational water exposures associated with PAM cases reported during 1978-2018 in the United States. Although PAM incidence remained stable, the geographic range of exposure locations expanded northward.

  • epidemiology and clinical characteristics of Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis caused by naegleria fowleri a global review
    Clinical Infectious Diseases, 2020
    Co-Authors: Radhika Gharpure, Jonathan S Yoder, Ibne Karim M. Ali, John Bliton, Alexandra Goodman, Jennifer R Cope
    Abstract:

    Background Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM) is a rapidly progressive and often fatal condition caused by the free-living ameba Naegleria fowleri. To estimate the global occurrence, characterize the epidemiology, and describe the clinical features of PAM, we report a series of PAM cases published in the international literature and reported to CDC. Methods We performed a literature search of PAM case reports published through 2018. Additionally, we included cases reported through CDC's Free-Living Ameba surveillance or diagnosed via CDC's Free-Living and Intestinal Amebas Laboratory. Cases were classified as confirmed, probable, or suspect on the basis of confirmatory testing, presentation, exposure, and disease course. Results A total of 381 PAM cases were identified. From 1965 to 2016, the number of reported cases increased an average of 1.6% per year. Seven reported survivors were classified as confirmed.The most commonly reported exposure associated with PAM was swimming/diving, and the most common class of water source was lakes/ponds/reservoirs. Patients were predominantly male (75%), with a median age of 14 years. Confirmed and probable cases were similar in their survival, course of illness, and CSF findings. Conclusions PAM is a rare but deadly disease with worldwide occurrence. Improved clinician awareness, resulting in earlier diagnosis and treatment, may contribute to increased survival among PAM patients. The probable case definition used in this study appears to capture cases of PAM, as evidenced by similarities in outcomes, clinical course, and CSF profile to confirmed cases. In the absence of confirmatory testing, clinicians could use this case definition to identify cases of PAM.

  • the first association of a Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis death with culturable naegleria fowleri in tap water from a us treated public drinking water system
    Clinical Infectious Diseases, 2015
    Co-Authors: Jennifer R Cope, Vincent R. Hill, Raoult Ratard, Theresa Sokol, Jonathan Jake Causey, Jonathan S Yoder, Gayatri Mirani, Bonnie Mull, Kimberly Mukerjee, Jothikumar Narayanan
    Abstract:

    Background Naegleria fowleri is a climate-sensitive, thermophilic ameba found in warm, freshwater lakes and rivers. Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM), which is almost universally fatal, occurs when N. fowleri–containing water enters the nose, typically during swimming, and N. fowleri migrates to the brain via the olfactory nerve. In August 2013, a 4-year-old child died of Meningoencephalitis of unknown etiology in a Louisiana hospital.

  • Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis in florida a case report and epidemiological review of florida cases
    Journal of Environmental Health, 2013
    Co-Authors: Phillip Budge, Govinda S. Visvesvara, B Lazensky, K E Elliott, C A Dooyema, Michael J Beach, Jonathan S Yoder
    Abstract:

    Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM) is a rare but nearly always fatal infection of the central nervous system caused by the thermophilic, free-living ameba Naegleria fowleri. Since its first description in 1965 through 2010, 118 cases have been reported in the U.S.; all cases are related to environmental exposure to warm freshwater; most have occurred in children and adolescents and are associated with recreational water activities, such as swimming, diving, or playing in freshwater lakes, ponds, or rivers. Over one-fourth of all national PAM cases have occurred in Florida. The authors describe here a fatal case of PAM in a resident of northeast Florida and the ensuing environmental and public health investigation; they also provide a review of all cases of PAM in Florida from 1962 to 2010 and discuss public health responses to PAM in Florida, highlighting opportunities for positive collaboration between state and local environmental health specialists, epidemiologists, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

  • Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis deaths associated with sinus irrigation using contaminated tap water
    Clinical Infectious Diseases, 2012
    Co-Authors: Jonathan S Yoder, Vincent R. Hill, Govinda S. Visvesvara, Raoult Ratard, Susanne Straifbourgeois, Sharon L Roy, Thomas A Moore, Jon D Wilson, Andrea J Linscott, Ron Crager
    Abstract:

    Conclusions. These are the first reported PAM cases in the United States associated with the presence of N. fowleri in household plumbing served by treated municipal water supplies and the first reports of PAM potentially associated with the use of a nasal irrigation device. These cases occurred in the context of an expanding geographic range for PAM beyond southern tier states with recent case reports from Minnesota, Kansas, and Virginia. These infections introduce an additional consideration for physicians recommending nasal irrigation and demonstrate the importance of using appropriate water (distilled, boiled, filtered) for nasal irrigation. Furthermore, the changing epidemiology of PAM highlights the importance of raising awareness about this disease among physi