Avoiding the Brain-Eating Amoeba
The biggest creatures are the ones that inspire fear that keeps most people from venturing into the wilderness. Florida’s enormous population of American alligators is enough to prevent you from swimming in a lake or river, even if no gator sightings have been reported near where you are planning to swim. Although their range only extends to the Florida Keys and the southernmost part of the Florida mainland, American crocodiles are even bigger, and no one would dare get near them, except that legendary Florida Man who dived into an American crocodile pond at a zoo to retrieve a smartphone he had dropped into the pond. The smallest creatures are just as deadly, though. 164 people in the United States have died from a parasitic infection caused by the Naegleria fowleri amoeba since 1962, close to the number of people killed by alligators during the same period. Most cases of N. fowleri exposure occur in public waters, but in some cases, a corporation or government entity is responsible for the exposure. If you were diagnosed with a parasitic infection due to someone else’s negligence, contact a Fort Lauderdale premises liability lawyer.
Florida Swimmers Are at Risk of Naegleria fowleri Infection
The N. fowleri amoeba is widespread in the soil and in the waters of rivers and lakes. This means that you will not encounter it if you swim in the ocean or in a chlorinated swimming pool. Simply being present in a freshwater river or lake where there is N. fowleri in the water will not make you sick; you cannot get infected by swallowing amoeba-infested water or by the water touching your skin. It only causes infection if it enters the brain through the nasal sinuses; this can only happen if the water is forced up your nostrils, such as if you jump into the water or if it sprays up your nose when you are boating or waterskiing.
If that happens, it can cause a brain infection called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). The symptoms resemble bacterial meningitis; it begins with a severe headache. Only four patients diagnosed with PAM have survived, and those have all been in the past ten years, due to early diagnosis and early initiation of treatment.
PAM survives in hot water, and the hottest states, including Florida, have the highest incidences of PAM infections. In 2025, there have been two documented PAM cases, and neither of them was in Florida. One was a 12-year-old boy who swam in Lake Murray in South Carolina, and the other was a woman who irrigated her sinuses with untreated tap water at a campground in Texas.
Who Is Legally Responsible for N. fowleri Exposure?
Premises liability laws may apply in the case of PAM infections. If the exposure took place at a recreational facility where guests pay admission, the company that operates the facility is responsible. The same applies if the contamination was in a municipal water supply.
Set Up a Consultation Today
A personal injury lawyer can help you if you got sick due to preventable exposure to a parasite. Contact Boone & Davis in Fort Lauderdale, Florida or call 954-566-9919 to explore your potential recovery options today.
Source:
abcnews.go.com/Health/rare-brain-eating-amoeba-after-texas-woman-dies/story?id=122648208
