The Most Horrible Parasite: Brain Eating Amoeba

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The Most Horrible Parasite: Brain Eating Amoeba

This post is not for the faint-hearted. However, parasites are a real thing, and it is helpful to know what sometimes doctors need to deal with.

This time we’ll talk about amoebas. There is a large diversity of these single-celled organisms in the world, and absolute majority of them are harmless to humans, especially when our immune system is working properly. Others can become deadly by having potential to cause different ailments, ranging from dysentery to encephalitis. But one variety – Naegleria fowleri – is particularly dangerous, because through evolution it has acquired a specific and deadly taste for human brains.

Below you will find a video from the creators of Kurzgesagt about probably the most horrible parasite of them all: a brain eating amoeba, which is typically found in warm freshwater, including lakes, rivers, ponds, and hot springs. Here you will learn about what it is, how it can enter our bodies and why its behavior is lethal:

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