Geographic Range of Recreational Water-Associated Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis, United States, 1978–2018
Radhika Gharpure, Michelle E. Gleason, Zainab Salah, Anna J. Blackstock, David Hess-Homeier, Jonathan S. Yoder, Ibne Karim M. Ali, 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.
Topics & Concepts
RecreationGeographyMeningoencephalitisRange (aeronautics)Environmental healthMedicineVirologyBiologyEcologyMaterials scienceComposite materialLegionella and Acanthamoeba researchVibrio bacteria research studiesCerebrospinal fluid and hydrocephalus