The child who died of brain abscess in Ho Chi Minh City was actually killed by “brain- eating amoeba” (Naegleria fowleri).
This was confirmed by Tran Thanh Duong, Deputy head of the Preventive Medicine Agency under the Ministry of Health, on September 19. He said the tested samples proved positive for amoeba Naegleria fowleri.
The MoH has asked HCM City to send a detailed report on the case.
Earlier on July 30, , the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases received a 25-year-old patient from Phu Yen, who was the first identified victim of Naegleria fowleri.
So far, Vietnam has had two people killed by brain eating amoeba. However, Duong said, this is a single case, not epidemics.
Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis is a fatal disease but it is rare and can be avoidable.
According to experts, the amoeba lives predominately in the warm bodies of freshwater such as lakes and rivers in tropical and subtropical climates. It grows best at a temperature of 46 degrees Celsius, but it has also been found to survive at higher temperatures of 50-56 degrees Celsius. It invades the brain through the nostrils.
To avoid the disease, the Preventive Medicine Agency warns people not to bathe and swim in high-risk areas.
If they swim at swimming-pools, ponds, lakes and streams, they should minimize water from getting into their noses. After bathing or swimming, they should clean their noses by nasal antiseptic, it says.
If they have some symptoms like a headache, fever, nausea, or vomiting, they should immediate go to clinics for prompt diagnosis and treatment.
This was confirmed by Tran Thanh Duong, Deputy head of the Preventive Medicine Agency under the Ministry of Health, on September 19. He said the tested samples proved positive for amoeba Naegleria fowleri.
The MoH has asked HCM City to send a detailed report on the case.
Earlier on July 30, , the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases received a 25-year-old patient from Phu Yen, who was the first identified victim of Naegleria fowleri.
So far, Vietnam has had two people killed by brain eating amoeba. However, Duong said, this is a single case, not epidemics.
Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis is a fatal disease but it is rare and can be avoidable.
According to experts, the amoeba lives predominately in the warm bodies of freshwater such as lakes and rivers in tropical and subtropical climates. It grows best at a temperature of 46 degrees Celsius, but it has also been found to survive at higher temperatures of 50-56 degrees Celsius. It invades the brain through the nostrils.
To avoid the disease, the Preventive Medicine Agency warns people not to bathe and swim in high-risk areas.
If they swim at swimming-pools, ponds, lakes and streams, they should minimize water from getting into their noses. After bathing or swimming, they should clean their noses by nasal antiseptic, it says.
If they have some symptoms like a headache, fever, nausea, or vomiting, they should immediate go to clinics for prompt diagnosis and treatment.
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