Revelation 6:7,8 NCV When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!"8 I looked, and there before me was a pale horse. Its rider was named death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill people by war, by starvation, by disease, and by the wild animals of the earth.
A 21-year-old California woman is dead after falling victim to a brain eating amoeba.
Health officials would not release the name of the woman but said she likely contracted the infection while swimming on private property. They do not believe that anyone other than family and friends who used the same body of water could be at risk.
The amoeba, known as Naegleria flowleri, thrive in warm freshwater lakes, ponds and hot springs. The infection can take hold of a human when the amoeba travels through the nasal passages and into the brain. Once in the brain, the amoeba will destroy the brain tissue. The victim usually dies within 3 to 18 days.
The Centers for Disease Control says that of 133 cases in the U.S. in the last 52 years, only three people have survived infection. The victim in this case was admitted to Northern Inyo Hospital in Bishop, California on June 16th and was diagnosed with meningitis. When she didn’t improve, she was flown to Reno, Nevada where the CDC confirmed the deadly amoeba.
The interesting thing about the amoeba is that while it is widespread, it does not seek a human host.
“It is unknown why certain persons become infected with the amoeba while millions of others exposed to warm recreational fresh waters, including those who were swimming with people who became infected, do not,” Richard Johnson, M.D., of Inyo Public Health said in the report.
The CDC recommends that people avoid poorly maintained or unmaintained freshwater sources including pools, hot springs and ponds.
