Post by coolplanet on Aug 3, 2013 0:28:21 GMT -5
Our New Brain Eating Overlords
The feeding structures of the amoeba Naegleria fowleri have a face-like appearance.
Source: Image by D.T. John & T.B. Cole, Visuals Unlimited via National Geographic
Posted by greenman3610
August 2, 2013
climatecrocks.com/2013/08/02/i-for-one-welcome-our-new-brain-eating-overlords/
It seems there is an increasing geographic occurrence of infections from an amoeba that attacks brain tissue – it is now being seen in areas further north than has been historically recorded, likely due to warmer water conditions.
I hope I’m not accused of being too flip with this one. Ok, I probably am. The most recent tragedy involving a 12 year old girl is not funny.
But the larger issue of climate denying politicians ignoring warning signals is what’s really important here. Not long ago, uber-denier James Inhofe contracted a severe illness from toxic algae in overheated Oklahoma lake waters, and laughed it off. Maybe the brain-eaters got to him as well.
Accuweather:
A 12-year-old girl contracted a rare infection caused by a brain-eating amoeba in Arkansas, and it may be tied to summer heat and drought conditions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The amoeba, a single-celled organism, that caused the infection is called Naegleria fowleri, which lives in warm freshwater, such as lakes, rivers and hot springs. These organisms can travel up the nose to the brain and spinal cord as people swim or dive and can cause a deadly infection called Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM).
The Arkansas Department of Heath (ADH) said in a press release that the most likely source of the Arkansas infection is the Willow Springs Water Park, located south of Little Rock, Ark. Another case of PAM in 2010 is also believed to be connected to Willow Springs.
“Most of the cases occur in what we call the southern-tier states, and, in fact, about 50 percent of cases have occurred in Texas and Florida,” Dr. Jennifer Cope, medical epidemiologist at the CDC, said.
The Arkansas case is the first confirmed one of 2013, Cope said. In the last decade from 2003 to 2012, 31 infections have been reported in the U.S.
Naegleria fowleri is thermophilic, or heat-loving. Most infections occur during July, August and September when there is prolonged heat and thus higher water temperatures and lower water levels.
More at link
The feeding structures of the amoeba Naegleria fowleri have a face-like appearance.
Source: Image by D.T. John & T.B. Cole, Visuals Unlimited via National Geographic
Posted by greenman3610
August 2, 2013
climatecrocks.com/2013/08/02/i-for-one-welcome-our-new-brain-eating-overlords/
It seems there is an increasing geographic occurrence of infections from an amoeba that attacks brain tissue – it is now being seen in areas further north than has been historically recorded, likely due to warmer water conditions.
I hope I’m not accused of being too flip with this one. Ok, I probably am. The most recent tragedy involving a 12 year old girl is not funny.
But the larger issue of climate denying politicians ignoring warning signals is what’s really important here. Not long ago, uber-denier James Inhofe contracted a severe illness from toxic algae in overheated Oklahoma lake waters, and laughed it off. Maybe the brain-eaters got to him as well.
Accuweather:
A 12-year-old girl contracted a rare infection caused by a brain-eating amoeba in Arkansas, and it may be tied to summer heat and drought conditions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The amoeba, a single-celled organism, that caused the infection is called Naegleria fowleri, which lives in warm freshwater, such as lakes, rivers and hot springs. These organisms can travel up the nose to the brain and spinal cord as people swim or dive and can cause a deadly infection called Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM).
The Arkansas Department of Heath (ADH) said in a press release that the most likely source of the Arkansas infection is the Willow Springs Water Park, located south of Little Rock, Ark. Another case of PAM in 2010 is also believed to be connected to Willow Springs.
“Most of the cases occur in what we call the southern-tier states, and, in fact, about 50 percent of cases have occurred in Texas and Florida,” Dr. Jennifer Cope, medical epidemiologist at the CDC, said.
The Arkansas case is the first confirmed one of 2013, Cope said. In the last decade from 2003 to 2012, 31 infections have been reported in the U.S.
Naegleria fowleri is thermophilic, or heat-loving. Most infections occur during July, August and September when there is prolonged heat and thus higher water temperatures and lower water levels.
More at link