Amoebic meningitis

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Amoebic meningitis is a usually fatal but rare disease that is usually found in tropical countries where the fresh water temperature exceeds 30°C.

[edit] Cause

Amoebic meningitis is caused by amoeba, an unicellular organism found in warm fresh water, entering through the nose of a person, perhaps when s/he dips her/his head underwater.

Examples include:

• Naegleria fowleri
• Acanthamoeba

[edit] Incubation

The incubation period is usually between 3 to 7 days.

[edit] References

• Manson's Tropical Diseases
• Mandell's Principles and Practices of Infection Diseases or *this site
• Cecil Textbook of Medicine
• The Oxford Textbook of Medicine
• Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine
• Fact Sheet CDC - Naegelia