The amoeba reportedly entered Ms. Stoutenburgh’s system while she was vacationing in Delaware and Maryland, when she jumped into a body of warm water. New York state’s Department of Health is still investigating the matter.
The amoeba causes primary amebic meningoencephalitis, or PAM. People can get PAM when water containing Naegleria fowleri enters the nose and the amoeba travels to the brain.
The Naegleria fowleri amoeba has recently infected a number of U.S. individuals. Most succumbed to the infection, including an 11-year-old girl from Beaufort, S.C. However, a Florida-based teen survived the infection. The teenage boy was treated with the drug Impravido. The drug is the only available treatment for the infection and can cost as much as $48,000.
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