Pathfinder
Editor, Senior Moderator
/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohave_County,_Arizona
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Suspected Case of “Naegleria fowleri being investigated in Mohave
County
MOHAVE COUNTY, AZ October 24, 2023) – Public health officials from Mohave County and
the Arizona Department of Health Services are working together on a suspected case of
“Naegleria Fowleri. “ Specimens were sent today (Oct. 24) to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention for testing.
The CDC says Naegleria fowleri is commonly known as the “brain-eating ameba.” It’s a freeliving
ameba (a single-celled living organism), so small that it can only be seen with a
microscope. It is commonly found in warm fresh water (such as lakes, rivers, and hot springs)
and soil. Only one species of Naegleria infects people: Naegleria fowleri.
The investigation into possible exposures and exposure locations is ongoing. The case has not
been confirmed at this time.
Naegleria fowleri infections are rare. In the United States, between zero and five cases were
diagnosed annually from 2013 to 2022. During this period, a total of 29 infections were reported
in the United States.
Previously, there has been a confirmed case of Naegleria fowleri in Mohave county, where the
case was exposed to Lake Havasu in 2007. A Nevada resident confirmed Naegleria fowleri case
was also exposed to Kingman Wash, on the Arizona side of Lake Mead in 2022.
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https://resources.mohavecounty.us/R...ounty074b3610-9f2c-483e-b772-cccc77d9e49f.pdf
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Suspected Case of “Naegleria fowleri in Mohave County
Is Negative
MOHAVE COUNTY, AZ October 25, 2023) – Public health officials from Mohave County and
the Arizona Department of Health Services worked together on a suspected case of “Naegleria
Fowleri. “ Specimens were sent yesterday (Oct. 24) to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention for testing.
The case has now been determined by CDC to be negative.
The CDC says Naegleria fowleri is commonly known as the “brain-eating ameba.” It’s a free living
ameba (a single-celled living organism), so small that it can only be seen with a
microscope. It is commonly found in warm fresh water (such as lakes, rivers, and hot springs)
and soil. Only one species of Naegleria infects people: Naegleria fowleri.
Naegleria fowleri infections are rare. In the United States, between zero and five cases were
diagnosed annually from 2013 to 2022. During this period, a total of 29 infections were reported
in the United States.
Previously, there has been a confirmed case of Naegleria fowleri in Mohave county, where the
case was exposed to Lake Havasu in 2007. A Nevada resident confirmed Naegleria fowleri case
was also exposed to Kingman Wash, on the Arizona side of Lake Mead in 2022.
While infections from this free living ameba are rare, ways to protect yourself include:
Hold your nose shut, use nose clips, or keep your head above water when in bodies of warm
fresh water.
Avoid putting your head under water in hot springs and other untreated geothermal waters.
Avoid digging in, or stirring up, the sediment in shallow, warm fresh water. The amebae are
more likely to live in sediment at the bottom of lakes, ponds, and rivers.
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https://resources.mohavecounty.us/R...ativebb6b7e7a-c8d3-48cd-86a1-cb9770c5423e.pdf