Naegleria Fowleri: No cases reported in Malaysia but public urged to be vigilant

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said this includes avoiding digging or tampering with any sediment at the bottom of lakes, ponds or rivers where amoeba can be found.

The public is also advised to avoid activities such as diving, or swimming in water that may be contaminated by amoeba that can enter the nasal cavity directly.

"Another step is to wash the body with treated water and soap after performing activities in the water and immediately seek treatment when experiencing fever, headache, vomiting or neck stiffness, especially after doing activities in the water," he said in a statement today.

Naegleria Fowleri is a thermophilic amoeba or protozoan single-cell organism that can be found all over the world, especially in freshwater habitats such as lakes, ponds, rivers, hot springs and in the ground and can cause severe brain infection which is primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), which is usually fatal.

Naegleria Fowleri is also known as a 'brain-eating amoeba' because it is able to cause damage to the brain through infection of the spinal cord and is able to enter the human body through nasal cavity during activities related to fresh water.

Yesterday, South Korea reported the first case of the infection involving a local man in his 50s who died on Dec 21 after staying for four months in a Southeast Asian country before returning to the republic on Dec 10.

"The Ministry of Health (MOH) will continue to closely monitor the Naegleria Fowleri infection situation in the country and abroad from time to time, to ensure the health and well-being of the people. In addition, the MoH is also committed to providing accurate and responsive information should there be any recent developments about the said disease," said Dr Noor Hisham.

He said that the symptoms of PAM in the early stages resemble the symptoms of meningitis caused by bacteria or other viruses such as headache, fever, nausea, or vomiting.

He added that more serious symptoms such as neck stiffness, confusion, lack of attention to people and surroundings, seizures, hallucinations, and coma can also occur and often, these symptoms appear around five days after infection (incubation period) and as early as one day or as late as 12 days after being infected.

"The patient's condition can also worsen rapidly within five days and death can occur within one to 18 days from the onset of symptoms," he said.