'Brain-eating' amoeba ruled out in 'cluster of illnesses' in Oklahoma. What could the cause be?

State and federal health officials are investigating the cause of a"cluster of illnesses" in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Early analyses have ruled out the freshwater-residing"brain-eating amoeba" Naegleria fowleri, known for causing a rare but nearly always fatal brain infection called primary amebic meningoencephalitis , as a potential cause, Oklahoma State Department of Health officials told Live Science in an emailed statement.

The OSDH has advised residents that public drinking water is safe and that it is tested daily to ensure federal and state quality standards are met.Meningitis is the inflammation of the layer covering the brain; it leads to symptoms such as headache, stiff neck and light sensitivity, and severe cases can cause seizures, coma and death. Meningitis can be caused by bacteria, viruses or amoebas like N.

According to Dr. Thomas Russo, a professor and chief of infectious diseases in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo, the most likely culprit behind the recent cluster of illnesses is bacteria in the genus Leptospira. Exposure to this pathogen can cause an infection called leptospirosis, which can lead to meningitis.

"If the water was contaminated with an enterovirus and was ingested, it could potentially cause a meningitis syndrome," Russo said. Infections with enteroviruses are fairly common, but most people who come into contact with an enterovirus don't develop a clinical disease; illnesses that do arise tend to resolve on their own.

Source: Healthcare Press (healthcarepress.net)

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