Naegleria fowleri is a free-living amoeba; it is a protist pathogen that is known to cause a fatal encephalitis in humans known as “primary amoebic meningoencephalitis” (PAM). The peak season for the cases admitted to the hospital is in the summers, and all the reported cases have a history of exposure to the warm waters. Mostly, PAM is reported in recent swimmers and people who perform ablution and/or nasal cleansing. Much has been done for vaccination and treatment without any success in past 60 years, but the mortality has remained 99%. Here, we propose a prophylaxis for this disease by introducing a device “Naegleriopel.” This device is noninvasive and requires insertion into the nostrils at times of swimming or water sports related activities. This device, made up of synthetic plastic or silicone, could be adapted to the contours of the interior of the nose. It is expected to reduce the sporadic and seasonal incidences of PAM.
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March 2016
Technical Briefs
Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis Preventive Nose Plugs: Prophylaxis Against Naegleria fowleri
Abdul Mannan Baig
Abdul Mannan Baig
Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences,
Aga Khan University,
Karachi 74200, Pakistan
e-mail: abdul.mannan@aku.edu
Aga Khan University,
Karachi 74200, Pakistan
e-mail: abdul.mannan@aku.edu
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Abdul Mannan Baig
Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences,
Aga Khan University,
Karachi 74200, Pakistan
e-mail: abdul.mannan@aku.edu
Aga Khan University,
Karachi 74200, Pakistan
e-mail: abdul.mannan@aku.edu
1Corresponding author.
Manuscript received July 5, 2015; final manuscript received November 10, 2015; published online January 6, 2016. Assoc. Editor: Rafael V. Davalos.
J. Med. Devices. Mar 2016, 10(1): 014501 (3 pages)
Published Online: January 6, 2016
Article history
Received:
July 5, 2015
Revised:
November 10, 2015
Citation
Baig, A. M. (January 6, 2016). "Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis Preventive Nose Plugs: Prophylaxis Against Naegleria fowleri." ASME. J. Med. Devices. March 2016; 10(1): 014501. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4032106
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