<i>Naegleria fowleri:</i> Portrait of a Cerebral Killer
<b>Background</b>: Primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) caused by <i>Naegleria fowleri</i> is a rare and devastating infection of the central nervous system, often diagnosed late, due to its rapid progression and nonspecific symptoms. <b>Case Presentation:</b>...
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| author | Nguyen The Nguyen Phung Huong Thien Pham Thuc Thanh Tran Vu Hoang Dinh Nhut Minh Tran Nuong Ai Nguyen Tran Minh Quang Ngoc Ngo Huong Thanh Thi Nguyen Duy Khanh Tran Thao Kieu Thi Le Camelia Quek Van Hung Pham Son Truong Pham |
| author_facet | Nguyen The Nguyen Phung Huong Thien Pham Thuc Thanh Tran Vu Hoang Dinh Nhut Minh Tran Nuong Ai Nguyen Tran Minh Quang Ngoc Ngo Huong Thanh Thi Nguyen Duy Khanh Tran Thao Kieu Thi Le Camelia Quek Van Hung Pham Son Truong Pham |
| author_sort | Nguyen The Nguyen Phung |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <b>Background</b>: Primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) caused by <i>Naegleria fowleri</i> is a rare and devastating infection of the central nervous system, often diagnosed late, due to its rapid progression and nonspecific symptoms. <b>Case Presentation:</b> We report one of the youngest documented pediatric Vietnamese cases of PAM in a 10-month-old girl from the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. The diagnosis was confirmed through multiplex real-time PCR (MPL-rPCR), microscopy, and sequencing. Clinical data were gathered retrospectively from medical records, and additional details were provided by the patient’s family. Treatment regimens, disease progression, and diagnostic challenges were reviewed and compared to existing literature. With intensive treatment, the child survived for 14 days, representing one of the longest reported pediatric PAM survival durations. No direct exposure to untreated freshwater or other typical risk factors for <i>Naegleria fowleri</i> infection was identified, underscoring the unique epidemiological nature of this case. MPL-rPCR enabled timely detection of the pathogen and demonstrated its utility in resource-limited settings. <b>Conclusions</b>: This case highlights the critical need for rapid, accessible diagnostic tools such as MPL-rPCR, particularly in resource-constrained environments where traditional diagnostics may not be feasible. It also emphasizes the importance of international collaboration and investment in cost-effective diagnostics and novel therapeutic strategies. The geographical expansion of PAM due to climate change further underscores the urgency of these measures to improve health outcomes in vulnerable populations. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cf681c8d601a479bad8b392a51267961 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2075-4418 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Diagnostics |
| spelling | doaj-art-cf681c8d601a479bad8b392a512679612025-01-10T13:16:41ZengMDPI AGDiagnostics2075-44182025-01-011518910.3390/diagnostics15010089<i>Naegleria fowleri:</i> Portrait of a Cerebral KillerNguyen The Nguyen Phung0Huong Thien Pham1Thuc Thanh Tran2Vu Hoang Dinh3Nhut Minh Tran4Nuong Ai Nguyen Tran5Minh Quang Ngoc Ngo6Huong Thanh Thi Nguyen7Duy Khanh Tran8Thao Kieu Thi Le9Camelia Quek10Van Hung Pham11Son Truong Pham12Department of Pediatrics, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, VietnamVietnam Research and Development Institute of Clinical Microbiology, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, VietnamDepartment of Pediatrics, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, VietnamChildren’s Hospital 1, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, VietnamChildren’s Hospital 1, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, VietnamChildren’s Hospital 1, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, VietnamChildren’s Hospital 1, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, VietnamChildren’s Hospital 1, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, VietnamVietnam Research and Development Institute of Clinical Microbiology, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, VietnamVietnam Research and Development Institute of Clinical Microbiology, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, VietnamSydney Medical School–Westmead, Sydney, NSW 2006, AustraliaVietnam Research and Development Institute of Clinical Microbiology, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, VietnamVietnam Research and Development Institute of Clinical Microbiology, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam<b>Background</b>: Primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) caused by <i>Naegleria fowleri</i> is a rare and devastating infection of the central nervous system, often diagnosed late, due to its rapid progression and nonspecific symptoms. <b>Case Presentation:</b> We report one of the youngest documented pediatric Vietnamese cases of PAM in a 10-month-old girl from the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. The diagnosis was confirmed through multiplex real-time PCR (MPL-rPCR), microscopy, and sequencing. Clinical data were gathered retrospectively from medical records, and additional details were provided by the patient’s family. Treatment regimens, disease progression, and diagnostic challenges were reviewed and compared to existing literature. With intensive treatment, the child survived for 14 days, representing one of the longest reported pediatric PAM survival durations. No direct exposure to untreated freshwater or other typical risk factors for <i>Naegleria fowleri</i> infection was identified, underscoring the unique epidemiological nature of this case. MPL-rPCR enabled timely detection of the pathogen and demonstrated its utility in resource-limited settings. <b>Conclusions</b>: This case highlights the critical need for rapid, accessible diagnostic tools such as MPL-rPCR, particularly in resource-constrained environments where traditional diagnostics may not be feasible. It also emphasizes the importance of international collaboration and investment in cost-effective diagnostics and novel therapeutic strategies. The geographical expansion of PAM due to climate change further underscores the urgency of these measures to improve health outcomes in vulnerable populations.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/15/1/89primary amebic meningoencephalitismultiplex real-time PCRpediatric infectious diseases |
| spellingShingle | Nguyen The Nguyen Phung Huong Thien Pham Thuc Thanh Tran Vu Hoang Dinh Nhut Minh Tran Nuong Ai Nguyen Tran Minh Quang Ngoc Ngo Huong Thanh Thi Nguyen Duy Khanh Tran Thao Kieu Thi Le Camelia Quek Van Hung Pham Son Truong Pham <i>Naegleria fowleri:</i> Portrait of a Cerebral Killer Diagnostics primary amebic meningoencephalitis multiplex real-time PCR pediatric infectious diseases |
| title | <i>Naegleria fowleri:</i> Portrait of a Cerebral Killer |
| title_full | <i>Naegleria fowleri:</i> Portrait of a Cerebral Killer |
| title_fullStr | <i>Naegleria fowleri:</i> Portrait of a Cerebral Killer |
| title_full_unstemmed | <i>Naegleria fowleri:</i> Portrait of a Cerebral Killer |
| title_short | <i>Naegleria fowleri:</i> Portrait of a Cerebral Killer |
| title_sort | i naegleria fowleri i portrait of a cerebral killer |
| topic | primary amebic meningoencephalitis multiplex real-time PCR pediatric infectious diseases |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/15/1/89 |
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