A 77-year-old woman in China died from a rare brain-eating amoeba after doctors initially misdiagnosed her condition as a brain tumor, according to a medical report.
The unnamed patient visited her local hospital in 2022 complaining of dizziness, confusion, and difficulty speaking. Scans showed a lesion, leading doctors to suspect cancer. However, a lumbar puncture revealed she was infected with Balamuthia mandrillaris, a single-celled organism that destroys brain tissue and kills 90% of patients.
The amoeba is typically found in dust, soil, and water. The woman likely became infected due to her rural surroundings near ponds, the medical team wrote. Over eight days, her condition deteriorated, leading to airway obstruction and ventilator dependency. She died after her family chose to stop treatment.
Balamuthia mandrillaris was first identified in 1986, with only about 200 cases reported worldwide. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that early treatment is crucial, as the infection progresses from fever and headache to seizures, paralysis, and death.
