'Brain-eating amoeba' infection, first confirmed in Korea... died after 10 days

[Asia Economy Reporter Byeon Seon-jin] It has been confirmed that a meningitis death case returning from overseas was infected with Naegleria fowleri. Known as the so-called 'brain-eating amoeba,' Naegleria fowleri is a highly pathogenic protozoan that causes fatal primary amoebic meningoencephalitis when it infects humans. This is the first confirmed case in Korea.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced on the 26th that genetic testing for the causative pathogen detected Naegleria fowleri genes in samples from Mr. A (male, in his 50s), who stayed in Thailand for four months, was admitted to a tertiary hospital with meningitis symptoms, and died after emergency transfer. For this pathogen identification, genetic (18S rRNA) testing was conducted on three types of amoebic protozoa known to cause amoebic encephalitis.

Mr. A, who returned on the 10th, began showing symptoms in the evening and was transferred to the emergency room the next day, the 11th, and died 10 days later on the 21st.

The KDCA explained, "Analysis of Mr. A's Naegleria fowleri nucleotide sequence (ITS gene) showed a 99.6% match with Naegleria fowleri gene sequences previously reported in meningitis patients overseas," adding, "Based on the high gene detection and sequence similarity, Naegleria fowleri infection was confirmed."

Infection with Naegleria fowleri mainly occurs during recreational activities in lakes or rivers. There have also been cases of infection from using amoeba-contaminated water in nasal irrigation devices. The KDCA reports that human-to-human transmission is not possible.

Globally, Naegleria fowleri infection cases are rare. The first case was confirmed in 1937 in an infected person in Virginia, USA, and as of 2018, 381 people have been infected. The disease progresses rapidly and is fatal, so early diagnosis and treatment are essential.

The incubation period ranges from as short as 2-3 days to as long as 7-15 days. Initially, symptoms include headache, mental confusion, olfactory and upper respiratory symptoms, gradually progressing to severe headache, fever, vomiting, and neck stiffness, leading to death.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.