With the death of the 10-year-old girl, many suspicions arose in the Santander family. get parasite while on holiday Santa Marta, in June this year.
The story started when I was little shared jacuzzis and swimming pools with his family The tragedy began at the hotel where he was staying, but not knowing how it would turn out, and three days later he complained of vomiting, diarrhea and mild earache.
At first, this problem was treated with antibiotics, but on the 12th day, the child developed seizures, confusion, aphasia and altered consciousness, which plunged him into a coma for two weeks.
Finally, unexpectedly, the girl became brain dead on the 21st and died two days later.
At first, doctors thought the minor had M.bacterial eningitis followed by autoimmune meningitis, however, a histopathological study was performed on autopsy samples. National Institutes of Health, INSHe concluded that the strange death of a 10-year-old girl in Bucaramanga was due to: primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) contracted by a parasite.
Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), according to experts It is a brain infection caused by the presence of a parasite in the central nervous system. These cause inflammation, causing the release of agents that destroy nerve cells and cause extensive tissue damage and brain necrosis.
According to neurosurgeon and researcher William Omar Contreras López, who learned about the case and took care of the brain-dead child, this amoeba is a protozoa called “free-living” because they have the ability to survive and reproduce. The environment does not need a host. In humid environments or aquatic environments They are living microscopic organisms. They are found in artificial lakes and areas with thermal waters or areas with thermal pollution of rivers and streams (they cannot live in salt water). They feed on the bacteria found in these places.
According to the expert, this parasite; It can enter the nasal cavity through submersion, diving, or swimming.
“Infectivity first occurs through binding to the nasal mucosa, travels along the olfactory nerve, reaches the olfactory bulbs and membranes lining the brain,” Contreras said.
This caused inflammation from the agents, at least in the child under 10 years of age. Cytotoxic, causing extensive tissue damage and necrosis.
Regarding how regular or present this parasite is, Dr. Contreras said: TIME These are not very frequent because they are just Between 2012 and 2021, 31 infections were reported in the United States, According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“MAP is rare and generally not considered a possible diagnosis. Therefore, most diagnoses are usually made after autopsy. Rapid identification can help avoid delays in diagnosis and therefore treatment.”
Clinical symptoms and signs of N. fowleri infection usually appear within 2 to 8 days after infection, although some have been reported within 24 hours. Although there are no specific signs and symptoms indicating N. fowleri infection, the most common symptoms include severe headache, fever, chills, signs of meningeal irritation, photophobia, confusion, seizures, and possible coma. Heart rhythm abnormalities and myocardial necrosis have also been observed in some cases. “Perhaps most importantly, increases in intracranial pressure and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure have been directly associated with death.”
MELISSA MUNERA ZAMBRANO
EL TIEMPO correspondent – Bucaramanga
Write to me: melmun@eltiempo.com
Source: Exame
