Naegleria Fowleri
No. I don't know how to pronounce it either.
Where does this parasite live?
It lives in warm bodies of fresh water, like ponds, lakes, rivers, and hot springs. It's also found in soil near warm water discharges.
How does it feed?
It feeds off of your brain tisue which causes your brain to swell up and then you die. It's not a very fun parasite.... Well none of them are but this one is definitly one to stay away from!
How does it reproduce?
Everybody's favorite topic, REPRODUCTION! Naegleria fowleri reproduce by asexual cell division.
What are the hosts of choice?
So far its host of choice are humans! It's a picky little parasite.
Are there any special adaptations?
There isn't really any special adaptations for this parasite to live in us and eat our brains.
What is the size of this icky creature?
The trophozoites are 10 to 15 μm in diameter. So pretty much that means that they are really, really small!
Other interesting facts.
I have kind of joked around with this parasite, but if you become its host, it will not be a joking matter. So here are some facts (and maybe horrors) for you to look at.
- the parasite usually enters through your nose
- you would be most likely to get this parasite if you were swimming, diving, or in a body of warm water.
- You cannot be infected from naegleria fowleri from contaminated drinking water.
- if you get the infection, the parasite will cause your brain to swell up and die.
- Only 32 infections have been reported in the US.
Thanks for reading!
Thanks for reading my flyer. I worked so hard on it. I hope you enjoyed it Mrs. Norman!