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6h ago

USGS Finds ‘Brain-Eating’ Amoeba in Yellowstone, Grand Teton and Lake Mead Waters

Experts urge better monitoring in response to warming waters.

The Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. 
The Lake Mead National Recreation Area near Las Vegas was among the western national park sites where researchers detected Naegleria fowleri, the rare “brain-eating amoeba,” in warm recreational waters.

Overview

  • A USGS-led study of 185 samples from 40 warm-water recreation sites found Naegleria fowleri in 34% of tests, with positives only at Yellowstone, Grand Teton and Lake Mead.
  • Researchers identified specific hot springs that tested positive, including Yellowstone’s Boiling and Firehole rivers, Grand Teton’s Polecat, Huckleberry and Granite, and Lake Mead’s Blue Point, Boy Scout, Nevada and Rogers.
  • One 2023 reading at Grand Teton’s Polecat Hot Springs measured about 115.7 cells per liter, which exceeds France’s 100 cells per liter guideline as the U.S. has no federal threshold.
  • The amoeba infects when warm freshwater enters the nose and causes primary amebic meningoencephalitis, which is about 98% fatal, with 167 U.S. cases since 1962 and four survivors.
  • After a 2022 child death linked to Lake Mead exposure, study authors recommend routine monitoring, clear on-site warnings and public guidance to reduce risk at warm freshwater sites.