The Department of Disease Control (DDC) has confirmed that the brain disease caused by Naegleria fowleri, also known as ‘brain-eating amoeba’, is not communicable among humans.
The announcement was made after the Korea Herald reported on Monday that a South Korean man in his fifties died of a brain ailment on Dec 21, three days after returning from a four-month trip to Thailand.
According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), the man’s genetic testing for three types of viruses causing Naegleria fowleri was 99.6 percent comparable to those detected in a patient with meningitis who was reported abroad. The man was the first patient in the country to be diagnosed with the condition.
According to Tares Krassanairawutong, the director-general of DDC, the disease cannot be transmitted from person to person or through safe drinking water. Patients infected with the disease may develop severe headaches, fever, vomiting, and a stiff neck. The disease also has the potential to escalate to a fatal stage.
To prevent the amoeba from entering the body, Dr. Tares recommended that individuals avoid swimming in contaminated water. He also suggested they use sterilized water or saline water for nasal cleaning.
The DDC stated that the disease is rare in Thailand, noting that only 17 patients were diagnosed with the disease in Thailand from 1983–2021.
According to the Korea Herald, since 2018, a total of 381 instances of Naegleria fowleri have been documented worldwide, including in India, Thailand, the United States, China, and Japan. (NNT)
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