JEFFERSON CITY, MO – The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) is announcing case of an adult Missouri resident with a laboratory-confirmed infection of Naegleria fowleri . Naegleria fowleri is a microscopic single-celled free-living ameba that can cause a rare deadly infection of the brain called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), also known as “brain-eating” infection. Typically, fewer than 10 people a year in the United States get PAM. The Missouri patient is currently being treated for PAM in an intensive care unit of a hospital, and currently, no additional suspected cases of PAM are being investigated in Missouri. The ameba is common and naturally present in warm freshwater such as lakes , rivers and ponds; however, PAM is extremely rare. Between 1962 and 2024, there were 167 reported cases of PAM in the United States. The source of the patient’s exposure is currently being investigated by public health officials. While not confirmed, p...