It’s officially the hottest part of the summer. Temperatures have soared above 90 degrees recently, and people are jumping into Minnesota lakes to cool off. Fortunately, Minnesota’s northern climate keeps water temperatures cool enough that we typically don’t have to worry about harmful bacteria in the water. But there have been cases in the past of the brain-eating amoeba Naegleria fowleri on one Minnesota lake.
Naegleria fowleri Cases in One Minnesota Lake
Naegleria fowleri is a single-celled amoeba that infects the nervous system. It enters the brain when present in water that goes up a swimmer’s nose. It’s incredibly rare in Minnesota, but nearly always fatal. There have been two cases in Minnesota on the…..