The next time you visit freshwater swimming holes to have fun and cool off, beware of a hidden danger that may directly affect your brain. A deadly pathogen may make its way to your brain through your nose or nasal passages.

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The microbe here in question is known as the "brain-eating amoeba".

What’s brain-eating amoeba?

The name sounds fictional but sadly it’s not. It goes by the name ‘Naegleria fowleri’ and is a potentially deadly organism.

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The amoeba can cause a deadly but rare infection called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis. Among the most vulnerable groups to this infection are young males, with the average age of patients being 12.

The disease is deadly and only a handful of patients are believed to have survived. Data from the US Centers for Disease Control says that the disease has a fatality rate of 97.5 per cent, with only four people having survived of 164 cases.

How the amoeba enters brain?

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It doesn’t enter through the mouth but through nose and nasal passages. Upon passing through nasal tissue, it directly affects the brain and the central nervous system.

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The amoeba enters body mostly when people rinse their nasal passage with infested water. That’s why experts suggest people to do so using suitably sterilised water.

How to avoid the amoeba?

The amoeba survives in freshwaters, rivers, hot springs, streams, pools or lakes; so one must take extra precautions.

Swimming is okay but you must avoid dipping your head in and must keep water from entering your nose.

If you are going to enter a pool filled with freshwater, make sure it is well maintained and disinfected with the correct amount of chlorine.

Remember, the probability of acquiring this disease is remote but if infected, it's likely to be fatal.

(With inputs from agencies)