"Brain-eating amoeba" that closed Iowa beach is as rare as it is fatal

THREE FIRE STATE PARK. NORMALLY IT’S FILLED WITH VACATIONERS NOW. IT IS CLOSED WEIRD THAT THAT THING CAN LIKE JUST GET INSIDE YOU AND DO THAT. HAPPY MELVIN AND HER FRIENDS NEVER THOUGHT THEIR SUMMER REUNION WOULD BE THE SCENE OF AN INVISIBLE HEALTH THREAT THE LAKE LOOKS FINE FROM A DISTANCE, BUT STATE HEALTH EXPERTS SAY A TINY AMOEBA COULD BE HIDING IN THE WATER ONE THAT COULD GET INTO YOUR NOSE AND EAT YOUR BRAIN. IT IS OBVIOUSLY RARE THE DNR HAS NOW SHUT DOWN THE BEACH AT LAKE OF THREE FIRE STATE PARK. A MISSOURI RESIDENT IS INTENSIVE CARE AFTER HE SWAM HERE LAST WEEK. THE AMOEBA IS USUALLY FOUND IN WARMER. SOUTHERN US LAKES AND DNR SUPERVISOR. MICHELLE. REINI SAYS SHE’S NEVER HEARD OF IT. IT’S HER JOB TO KEEP VISITORS SAFE. SOME PEOPLE ARE HERE, YOU KNOW, JUST A FISH JUST A PICNIC JUST TO ENJOY AND RELAX THAT THEIR CAMPSITE AND THEY CAN STILL DO THAT. SO IT’S JUST THE BEACH THAT’S CLOSED FOR NOW. SO FOR NOW CAMPERS COULD LOOK AT THE BEAUTIFUL LAKE. THEY JUST CAN’T JUMP IN. IT’S REALLY SURPRISING TO ME THAT A HAT LIKE THAT. IT’S HERE LIKE JUST AROUND TIME THAT WE COME SO WE JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS ALL KIND OF WEIRD. OH YOU HAVE TO BE UNDERWATER TO GET IT AND WE BARELY PUT OUR FEET IN. SO WE WE WEREN’T TOO WORRIED ABOUT IT STATE HEALTH OFFICIALS AND THE CDC ARE NOW TESTING THE WATER AND IT MAY TAKE SEVERAL DAYS TO CALL THE ALL CLEAR I

A rare "brain-eating amoeba" has temporarily closed an Iowa beach. The beach at Lake of Three Fires in Taylor County is closed temporarily for swimming effective immediately.The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services announced the closure on Thursday night.The closure is because of Naegleria fowleri, known as the "brain-eating amoeba."A Missouri resident has a confirmed infection after they were potentially exposed while swimming at the Lake of Three Fires.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the state are testing the waters in the lake to confirm if the brain-eating amoeba is in the water. That testing process will take several days.This is the first reported case in Iowa, CDC data shows.The amoeba can cause extremely rare life-threatening brain infections.It can only occur if the contaminated water gets up a swimmer's nose, and cannot be spread from one person to another.In a release, the state encourages people to take the following precautions to reduce the risk of infection by limiting the amount of water going up the nose:Hold your nose shut, use nose clips, or keep your head above water when taking part in water-related activities in bodies of warm freshwater. Avoid water-related activities in warm freshwater during periods of high water temperature. Avoid digging in, or stirring up, the sediment while taking part in water-related activities in shallow, warm freshwater areas.Naegleria fowleri is rare and deadlyAccording to the CDC, out of the 154 known cases from 1962 to 2021, only four people have survived — that's a fatality rate of over 97%. The CDC says the majority of infections happen in freshwater — when the temperatures reach the triple digits.Most of the cases happen in the southern US — but a recent study found the parasite is showing up in the Midwest more frequently.The study says that could be the result of rising temperatures in the region.Other lakes the DNR doesn't recommend swimming in: The DNR has issued "swimming not recommended" advisories for these 11 beaches — including Big Creek in Polk County.The issue in these lakes isn't brain-eating amoeba, most have higher levels of e coli or blue-green algae.You can check the status of all State Park beaches at iowadnr.gov. More news:

TAYLOR COUNTY, Iowa —

A rare "brain-eating amoeba" has temporarily closed an Iowa beach.

The beach at Lake of Three Fires in Taylor County is closed temporarily for swimming effective immediately.

The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services announced the closure on Thursday night.

The closure is because of Naegleria fowleri, known as the "brain-eating amoeba."

A Missouri resident has a confirmed infection after they were potentially exposed while swimming at the Lake of Three Fires.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the state are testing the waters in the lake to confirm if the brain-eating amoeba is in the water. That testing process will take several days.

This is the first reported case in Iowa, CDC data shows.

The amoeba can cause extremely rare life-threatening brain infections.

It can only occur if the contaminated water gets up a swimmer's nose, and cannot be spread from one person to another.

In a release, the state encourages people to take the following precautions to reduce the risk of infection by limiting the amount of water going up the nose:

Hold your nose shut, use nose clips, or keep your head above water when taking part in water-related activities in bodies of warm freshwater.
Avoid water-related activities in warm freshwater during periods of high water temperature.
Avoid digging in, or stirring up, the sediment while taking part in water-related activities in shallow, warm freshwater areas.

Naegleria fowleri is rare and deadly

According to the CDC, out of the 154 known cases from 1962 to 2021, only four people have survived — that's a fatality rate of over 97%.

The CDC says the majority of infections happen in freshwater — when the temperatures reach the triple digits.

Most of the cases happen in the southern US — but a recent study found the parasite is showing up in the Midwest more frequently.

The study says that could be the result of rising temperatures in the region.

Other lakes the DNR doesn't recommend swimming in:

The DNR has issued "swimming not recommended" advisories for these 11 beaches — including Big Creek in Polk County.

The issue in these lakes isn't brain-eating amoeba, most have higher levels of e coli or blue-green algae.

You can check the status of all State Park beaches at iowadnr.gov.

More news:

"Brain-eating amoeba" that closed Iowa beach is as rare as it is fatal

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