Yucatán Vacation Region
Yucatán is a popular travel destination—including for Swiss tourists. (File photo)
German Press Agency
Following the death of a man caused by a dangerous parasite, six lakes in the Yucatán vacation region have been closed. Infections are extremely rare, but they are almost always fatal.
Here’s what it’s all about
- Following the death of a man in Mexico from a rare infection caused by the so-called “brain-eating amoeba,” authorities in the state of Yucatán have closed six man-made lakes.
- The current safety measures apply to artificial lakes in Mérida—no general closure of natural swimming areas has been announced.
- Infections caused by the parasite Naegleria fowleri are extremely rare, but they are almost always fatal.
Following the death of a man in Mexico from a rare infection caused by the so-called “brain-eating amoeba,” authorities in the state of Yucatán have closed six man-made lakes. In six of the nine bodies of water tested in the city of Mérida, single-celled organisms of the genus Naegleria were detected, which includes the highly dangerous parasite Naegleria fowleri, according to Yucatán’s Health Minister Alberto Alcocer.
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A 34-year-old man died in September from a brain infection caused by Naegleria fowleri. He had been working as a water ski instructor at an artificial lake where the pathogen was detected. All six of the affected bodies of water are used for recreational activities.
Yucatán is located on the peninsula of the same name in southeastern Mexico and is a popular travel destination for Swiss tourists as well. Attractions include the Mayan ruins of Chichén Itzá and the natural freshwater pools known as cenotes. The current safety measures apply to artificial lakes in Mérida—no general closure of natural swimming areas has been announced.
Parasite in Warm Waters: Into the Brain Through the Nose
Infections caused by the parasite Naegleria fowleri are extremely rare, but they are almost always fatal. According to the German Robert Koch Institute, the organism is particularly prevalent in subtropical and tropical regions.
The parasite spreads mainly in warm waters and can enter a person’s brain through the nose while swimming. Once there, it can cause meningitis, which in most cases leads to a coma and ultimately to death.
Fleischfressender Parasit bei Menschen in den USA nachgewiesen
Die Larven der Schraubenwurmfliege fressen lebendes Fleisch von Warmblütern. Befallen sind häufig Rinderherden. Der in den USA in den 1960er Jahren offiziell ausgerottete Wurm breitet sich derzeit von Mittelamerika wieder in Richtung Norden aus.
