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If enough water goes far enough up the nose, the amoeba can take hold. It destroys tissue as it works its way up into the brain, where it continues its destructive journey, feeding on the victims brain cells.
People who are infected with the bug usually begin complaining of a stiff neck, headaches, and fevers. In the later stages of infection, they'll begin to halucinate and show behavioral changes. Eventually the brain is entirely consumed, leading a persons vital functions to simply shut down. Once infected, people have little chance of survival.
"Usually, from initial exposure it's fatal within two weeks," Beach said. The sudden spike in deaths this year from the bug has raised alarm throughout experts, and some fear that Global warming may lead to a spread of Naegleria, since it thrives in warmer waters. But there is still lots to be understood about the bug-including why it seems to infect children at a higher rate than adults, and boys at a much higher rate than girls. The only explanation offered for this phenomena is that boys tend to have more boisterous activities in the water, but officials could only guess that that might be the cause.
Before panicking too much, keep in mind that this is still an extremely isolated infection, and there's a simple way to guard against it: Nose clips. Have your children wear nose clips whenever swimming or diving in fresh water. According to Michael Beach, "You'd have to have water going way up in your nose to
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