Naegleria fowleri

Naegleria fowleri causes primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM)

and

what is Blood-Brain barrier ?

According to C.D.C : Naegleria is an ameba (single-celled living organism) commonly found in warm freshwater (for example, lakes, rivers, and hot springs) and soil. Only one species (type) of Naegleria infects people: Naegleria fowleri. Naegleria fowleri usually infects people when contaminated water enters the body " through the nose" . Once the ameba enters the nose, it travels to the brain where it causes PAM, which is usually fatal. Infection typically occurs when people go swimming or diving in warm freshwater places, like lakes and rivers. In very rare instances, Naegleria infections may also occur when contaminated water from other sources (such as inadequately chlorinated swimming pool water or heated and contaminated tap water) enters the nose. You cannot get infected from swallowing water contaminated with Naegleria. Critical is make medicine cross the blood-brain barrier! Watch Video IV below:

1. two forms: I of IV: Naegleria can transform from amoeba into the flagellated protist

Naegleria that occur in two forms, amoeba or flagellate, can transform from amoeba into the flagellated protist by immersion into distilled water.

2. Naegleria fowleri drug research:

An interview with Prof. Dennis Kyle. From University of South Florida public Health.

3. The blood-brain barrier protects the brain from infection, but also prevents medicines from entering. Scientists are developing methods for sneaking medicines past the barrier by exploiting the "transferrin pathway".

II of IV : Prof. Dennis Kyle. From University of South Florida public Health.

III of IV: What is the Blood-Brain barrier?

4. Now, researchers from Penn’s School of Veterinary Medicine and colleagues from across the country have identified how the parasite makes its way in.
Using a powerful imaging technique that allowed the scientists to track the presence and movement of parasites in living tissues, the researchers found that Toxoplasma infects the brain’s endothelial cells, which line blood vessels, reproduces inside of them, and then moves on to invade the central nervous system.

IV of IV: How parasites (like Naegleria fowleri & Toxoplasma Gondi) cross the blood-brain barrier: