Unfamiliarity of Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis in Developing Countries

Abstract

We report a case of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis in Nigeria in a 7-year old boy from a rural area. The clinical course was classically that of meningoencephalitis and laboratory diagnosis was from the cerebrospinal fluid and pond water specimen which showed free-living structures of amoeba of Naegleria species. Methods available could not differentiate the Naegleria species. Investigation revealed that the boy played and swam in a village pond for many years before his death and the pond was infested with free living amoebae. Despite the worldwide nature of the disease, the reporting of the cases had been very rare. The apparent rarity of the reporting worldwide and in particular in developing countries result in ignorance of people of the disease.