Who's Afraid of Brain-Eating Amoebas?

In 2023, both a toddler in Arkansas and a swimmer in Texas died from the infection of a brain-eating amoeba, Naegleria fowleri, likely contracted from local water sources. ""Brain-eating amoebas"" is a scary headline that sounds like something out of the Twilight Zone, but just how worried should we be? And how serious are the ramifications of infection? (Spoiler: They're pretty darn serious.) 

On this episode of Heath Matters, we sit down with Dr. Bobbi Pritt to talk about brain-eating amoebas, what they are, how concerned we should be about them, and ways to avoid infection.

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