After Corona, entry of another deadly disease, first case of ‘brain-eating amoeba’ surfaced in South Korea

The first case of Naegleria fowleri i.e. ‘brain-eating amoeba’ infection has been reported in South Korea. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) has confirmed that a Korean national who died after returning from Thailand was infected with Naegleria fowleri. It is a disease that destroys the human brain. The 50-year-old man returned to Korea on December 10 after four months in the Southeast Asian country and was admitted to the hospital the next day, where he died on Tuesday last week.

This is the first case reported in the country from the disease, which was first reported in the United States in 1937. Naegleria fowleria is an amoeba, commonly found in warm freshwater lakes, rivers, canals and ponds around the world. The amoeba is inhaled through the nose and then enters the brain.

Less chance of human-to-human spread

The KDCA said the chances of human-to-human spread of Naegleria fowleri are low, but asked local residents to refrain from traveling to areas where the disease has spread. A total of 381 cases of Naegleria fowleri were reported as of 2018 in the world, including the US, India and Thailand.