Brain-Eating Ameoba: 6 vs West Nile Virus: 58

Reports this week of six US deaths due to a rare brain-eating amoeba affecting swimmers, brings into the spotlight another disease of recent vintage, West Nile Virus. The latest data shows that the well-known and well-documented West Nile disease has claimed 58 lives as compared to the unknown ameoba's claim of 6 lives so far this year.

According to the US Geological Survey's West Nile Virus Map, as of September 25, 2007, the national cumulative human disease cases this year reached 2307, with 58 victims dying from complications such as West Nile Meningitis and West Nile Encephalitis. All of the reported cases of the brain amoeba resulted in deaths of the victim, making it a bigger killer once contracted than even the feared West Nile Virus.

Increased US temperatures due to global warming are suspected in increased incidents of both diseases. Scientists have warned for years that the range and severity of West Nile will increase as the climate gets hotter due to global warming. Likewise, in the case of the brain-eating amoeba, Naegleria fowleri, 6 US deaths have occured this year compared with only 23 in the years 1998-2004. A climate change link is suspected in the increase of this disease's incidence as well.

This week, the news that Naegleria fowleri, commonly found in warm bodies of freshwater, killed a 14-year old Phoenix boy, has focused attention on the unusual disease. According to a report on KPHO.com in Phoenix, Michael Beach from the CDC states "This is a heat-loving amoeba. As water temperatures go up, it does better," Beach said. "In future decades, as temperatures rise, we'd expect to see more cases."

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