Lethal encephalitis due to free-living amoebae in three members of a family, Tumbes, Peru

Authors

  • María Edith Solís-Castro Centro Nacional de Epidemiología, Prevención y Control de Enfermedades, Lima, Perú.Programa de Especialización en Epidemiología de Campo, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Perú.Médica cirujana, doctora en Ciencias de la Salud https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5514-849X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17843/rpmesp.2021.382.6754

Keywords:

Encephalitis, Central Nervous System Protozoal Infections, Acanthamoeba, Amebiasis

Abstract

Free-living amoebas (FLA) are protozoan parasites that occasionally cause disease in humans after contact with contaminated water or soil. We describe a series of three cases of encephalitis in a family group with a fatal outcome that occurred in the Tumbes region between December 2019 and February 2020. Acanthamoeba sp. was identified in the cerebrospinal fluid sample from case 1. All three cases had a history of entering a swimming pool months before the disease. In the Tumbes region there is no previous record of encephalitis due to FLA and its occurrence in a family cluster has never been reported before.

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Published

2021-05-19

Issue

Section

Brief Report

How to Cite

1.
Solís-Castro ME. Lethal encephalitis due to free-living amoebae in three members of a family, Tumbes, Peru. Rev Peru Med Exp Salud Publica [Internet]. 2021 May 19 [cited 2024 Dec. 23];38(2):291-5. Available from: https://rpmesp.ins.gob.pe/index.php/rpmesp/article/view/6754