A drug for urinary tract infections may also work for ‘brain-eating’ amoeba infections, fatal for the vast majority of people who contract them. The drug’s promise was demonstrated in a recent case report that describes a 54-yearold man whose brain was infiltrated by the amoeba Balamuthia mandrillaris. The singlecelled organism lives in dust, soil and water and can enter the body through skin wounds and cuts or through the lungs when it’s inhaled.
The amoeba can then enter the bloodstream and travel to the brain, triggering a very rare infection called granulomatous amebic encephalitis that kills around 90 per cent of those affected. “The disease might appear mild at first, but can become more severe,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).