Missouri resident dies from rare ‘brain-eating’ amoeba infection

A Missouri resident has died after contracting a rare “brain-eating” infection caused by the amoeba Naegleria fowleri, according to state health officials.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) said in a press release on Wednesday that the patient died on Tuesday at a hospital in the St. Louis area.

The case was first announced last week, when DHSS reported that an adult resident had been hospitalized with primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a nearly always fatal infection commonly referred to as a “brain-eating” infection.

The source of exposure remains under investigation, but preliminary information suggested the patient may have been water skiing at the Lake of the Ozarks in the days before becoming ill, according to the department.

Naegleria fowleri is a microscopic amoeba that lives naturally in warm freshwater such as lakes, rivers, and ponds. Infection is extremely rare, with fewer than 10 cases reported annually in the United States. Data shows 167 confirmed cases between 1962 and 2024.

The infection occurs when water containing the ameba enters the body through the nose, typically during swimming or other water activities. It cannot be spread person-to-person and does not occur from drinking contaminated water.

Health officials urged swimmers and recreational water users to take precautions to reduce the risk of infection, such as using nose clips, avoiding submerging the head in warm freshwater, and refraining from stirring up sediment in shallow areas.

Symptoms of the infection can include severe headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, stiff neck, seizures, altered mental status, and hallucinations. The disease progresses rapidly, and health officials say anyone with symptoms should seek immediate medical attention.