Illness & Symptoms

Balamuthia infection is a very rare and serious illness. The Balamuthia amebas can infect the skin, sinuses, brain and other organs of the body. Therefore, Balamuthia infection can cause a wide range of symptoms. Disease can begin with a skin wound on the face, trunk, or limbs and can then progress to the brain where it cause a disease called Granulomatous Amebic Encephalitis (GAE) ^1,2. Diagnosis of Balamuthia GAE can be difficult, but some early symptoms may include:

• Headaches
• Stiff neck or head and neck pain with neck movement
• Sensitivity to light
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Lethargy (tiredness)
• Low-grade fever

Other signs of Balamuthia GAE may include:

• Behavioral changes
• Seizures
• Weight loss
• Partial paralysis
• Speech difficulties
• Difficulty walking

Balamuthia can also cause a widespread infection involving multiple body parts.

The disease might appear mild at first but can become more severe over weeks to several months ^{1, 3}. Often the disease is fatal ³, with a death rate of more than 89% ⁴. Overall, the outlook for people who get this disease is poor, although early diagnosis and treatment may increase the chances for survival ⁴.