''Balamuthia'' infection is a cutaneous condition resulting from ''
Balamuthia
''Balamuthia mandrillaris'' is a free-living amoeba that causes the rare but deadly neurological condition granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (GAE). ''B. mandrillaris'' is a soil-dwelling amoeba and was first discovered in 1986 in the brain of ...
'' that may result in various
skin lesion
A skin condition, also known as cutaneous condition, is any medical condition that affects the integumentary system—the organ system that encloses the body and includes skin, nails, and related muscle and glands. The major function of th ...
s.
''Balamuthia mandrillarisis'' a free-living amoeba (a single-celled living organism) found in the environment. It is one of the causes of
granulomatous amoebic encephalitis
Granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (GAE) is a rare, usually fatal, subacute-to-chronic central nervous system disease caused by certain species of free-living amoebae of the genera ''Acanthamoeba'', ''Balamuthia'' and '' Sappinia''. The term is ...
(GAE), a serious infection of the brain and spinal cord. ''Balamuthia'' is thought to enter the body when soil containing it comes in contact with skin wounds and cuts, or when dust containing it is breathed in or gets in the mouth. The ''Balamuthia'' amoebae can then travel to the brain through the bloodstream and cause GAE. GAE is a very rare disease that is usually fatal.
Scientists at the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health agency of the United States. It is a United States federal agency, under the Department of Health and Human Services, and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgi ...
(CDC) first discovered ''Balamuthia mandrillaris'' in 1986. The amoeba was found in the brain of a dead
mandrill. After extensive research, ''B. mandrillaris'' was declared a new species in 1993. Since then, more than 200 cases of ''Balamuthia'' infection have been diagnosed worldwide, with at least 70 cases reported in the United States. Little is known at this time about how a person becomes infected.
See also
*
''Acanthamoeba'' infection
References
External links
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ''Balamuthia'' infection information prevention, diagnosis, and treatment
Parasitic infestations, stings, and bites of the skin
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