news.yahoo.com/.../swimming_disease_dc_1
Swimming-related brain disease claims lives
May 29, 2008
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In 2007, six people from southern states died from a rare brain infection that can occur after swimming in warm lakes and rivers, according to findings released Thursday in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) is a rare, but nearly always fatal disease caused by the ameba Naegleria fowleri, investigators from the CDC and the states where the infections occurred note. The microbe enters the brain through the nose and the infection causes various symptoms, including headache, neck stiffness, nausea, and vomiting.....
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A boy died from this after swimming in Falls Lake in Raleigh NC. This is Raleigh's water supply. I've done OW swims there and it is far from being nasty water. It may be time to wear nose plugs if you're doing an OW swim in the southern US when the water is above 80, which will probably happen soon with 90+ degee days already.
Is Naegleria a terrible disease,yes.Are you likely to get it from an OW swim?only if you swim in pretty nasty water.It is not a clean water disease(and as noted is really rare.)The article said only warm lakes,but what I was taught in my infectious disease training(which was in the stone age) it grew best in pretty foul conditions,ie stagnant smelly water.
A boy died from this after swimming in Falls Lake in Raleigh NC. This is Raleigh's water supply. I've done OW swims there and it is far from being nasty water. It may be time to wear nose plugs if you're doing an OW swim in the southern US when the water is above 80, which will probably happen soon with 90+ degee days already.
Is Naegleria a terrible disease,yes.Are you likely to get it from an OW swim?only if you swim in pretty nasty water.It is not a clean water disease(and as noted is really rare.)The article said only warm lakes,but what I was taught in my infectious disease training(which was in the stone age) it grew best in pretty foul conditions,ie stagnant smelly water.
