Deadly Brain-Eating Infection Spreads as Missouri Resident Hospitalized Following Water Skiing Incident
A Missouri resident was hospitalized with a deadly brain-eating infection after possibly water skiing in Lake of the Ozarks. Health officials identified the patient as having been exposed to Naegleria fowleri, a microscopic single-celled ameba causing primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). The infection is extremely rare, with only 167 U.S. cases reported from 1962 to 2024. Early symptoms include headache, fever, nausea, and vomiting. Most patients die within 1-18 days after symptoms begin. Health authorities advise avoiding warm freshwater activities, using nose clamps, and not submerging heads to prevent infection.