[StBernard] Local man dies from amoeba related infection

[Westley Annis]

Local man dies from amoeba related infection
	 Reported by: Sabrina Wilson, Reporter 
Email: swilson at fox8tv.net 
Last Update: 8/18 6:57 pm

New Orleans-This is the time of year when local bodies of water can look
very inviting.But there could be organisms which are invisible to the eye
which are ready to attack your brain, according to state and local health
experts.

"It's a one cell bug," said State Epidemiologist Raoul Ratard.

The bug is called an "amoeba." And experts said Thursday it is nothing to
take lightly.

"The diagnosis is made through a lumbar puncture, a spinal tap and you can
actually see the amoeba moving around in the cerebral spinal fluid," said
LSU Health Sciences Center Infectious Disease specialist Lee Engel, M.D.

The tiny organism is blamed for at least three deaths so far this summer,
including one in metro New Orleans.

28 year old Jeff Cusimano, of Saint Bernard Parish, died from the parasitic
infection, according to the coroner.  State health officials said making the
case even more unusual was the fact that he had not been swimming in warm
fresh water in the weeks before he fell ill.

"He was not diving, was not tubing, was not in the river, or in the lake, or
anything, he was irrigating the sinuses, and to do that you can do it with a
bulb, or you can do it from the Neti pot, said State Epidemiologist Raoul
Ratard, Ph.D.

Ratard said before the local victim's brain came under attack by the amoeba,
Cusimano used a nasal irrigation device.

Local drug store shelves are filled with nasal flushing products.  Many
sinusitis sufferers swear by the products which carry warnings which
instruct users to first boil tap water or use distilled water in the
irrigating process.

"I think if you boil the water you're safe," stated Dr. Engel.

State health officials found the amoeba in Cusimano's home water system, but
not in the city's water system.

"Unluckily.that specific house there were some amoeba and they probably got
into the Neti pot, and then for some reason," stated Dr. Ratard.

"If you have well water that would something to be concerned about possibly
because it's been shown to be in well water," said Dr. Engel.

Cusimano became the first known victim of amoeba related brain infection who
had not had contact with fresh water.

"I think in the entire U.S. that was the first one," said Ratard

Experts said the amoeba organism strives in warm lakes, rivers, and ponds
and certainly has plenty of them. While its rare, Dr. Ratard said in the
water the organism can travel up the nose, get to the skull and then began
destroying brain tissue.

"People are probably exposed to this just by swimming in lakes and ponds and
poorly chlorinated swimming pools and most people do not get it, luckily,"
Engel further stated.

It is a vicious killer of those who do get the infection.

"Most patients who get this will probably die from the infection," said
Engel.

He said telltale symptoms should not be ignored.

"The medical term is meningoencephalitis, but infection in the brain, and so
nausea, vomiting, headaches, still neck are going to be the initial
symptoms," stated Dr. Engel.

The CDC recommends people swimming in warm fresh water not snort the water.