Amoebic meningitis is a disease of the central nervous system caused by a microorganism, Naegleria fowleri. Naegleria fowleri is a free-living amoeba typically found in warm, stagnant water. They gain entry to the human body through the nose while swimming or participating in water sports, and finally reach the central nervous system, destroying the nervous tissue along its way. As the microbe gains entry to brain tissue it may cause meningitis or encephalitis or inflammation of the brain.
Illness
Amoebic meningitis is relatively uncommon in the United States, affecting only 1 to 3 percent of the U.S. population. This disease is very rare but highly lethal. Within about seven days of infection, patients start showing signs of sickness in the central nervous system. Diagnosis, however, can still be complicated due to similarity of symptoms of other nervous diseases. Because of this delay, the infection progresses with alarming rate, and the patients succumb to the infection before the treatment can work more effectively.
Hospitalization
Acute bacterial meningitis is a true medical emergency. Patients with acute central nervous system diseases such as amoebic meningitis are normally admitted to the hospital, usually for treatment of conditions. Patients are given antibiotics and pain relievers intravenously. Oxygen may be given, if patients have difficulty breathing. In some cases, meningitis sufferers recover without needing hospital treatment.
Medicine
Amphotericin B, a type of systemic antifungal medicine, is the medicine of choice for the treatment of amoebic meningitis. High doses of Amphotericin B are required for patients infected with Naegleria fowleri. Amphotericin B can cause renal damage, so frequent and prolonged use of this drug must be avoided.
Other Drugs
Though Amphotericin B appears to be promising against amoebic meningitis, other drugs are also used in combination with it in the treatment of amoebic meningitis. Anti-parasitic drugs such as rifampicin, chloramphenicol, doxycycline, metronidazole and tinidazole have been shown to have beneficial effects in relation to amoebic meningitis treatment.
Surgical Managements
Some patients may develop hydrocephalus, a condition in which there is an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid within the cranial cavity. This is caused by the blockage in the normal drainage of the fluid due to inflammation of meninges, the membrane that envelops the brain and spinal cord. The accumulated fluid creates increased pressure inside the skull and may compress the brain tissue; this further aggravates the complications of the disease. Under these circumstances, a tract is surgically mounted in the brain to drain out excess fluid, which subsequently relieves the pressure inside the skull.
