Public Health, Lakes, and Primary Amoebic Miningoencephalitis, (PAM) in Oklahoma
by Youmasu J. Siewe, Ph.D, MPH.
The following article was published in the Stillwater News Press on August 8, 2001.
The recent death of a young boy from Primary Amoebic Miningoencephalitis (PAM), contracted by swimming in an Oklahoma lake has been a concern to Oklahomans; two other Oklahoma Children have died from PAM since 1998. Learning and understanding more about this health condition is better than unwarranted public alarm about the disease, says Siewe, OSU Extension health specialist.
What is PAM? It is a brain infection that is nearly always fatal, caused by a single cell-organism, the (amoebae). It can be found in air, water and soil or everywhere in the environment. Infections in humans are rare, but can be acquired through water entering the nasal passages (usually during swimming or diving), reports the US Centers for Disease Control.
How does PAM get into the body? PAM occurs in persons who are generally healthy prior to infection. Central nervous system infections occurs when the organisms penetrates the nasal passages and enter the brain through the palate between the nose and brain. The organism multiplies in the tissues of the central nervous system and becomes concentrated in the fluid that surrounds the spinal cord and brain, causing inflammation of the meninges (covering of the brain), and diagnosed as meningitis. If untreated death occurs within one week of the onset of symptoms, reports the US Centers for Disease Control.
What is the threat of PAM in Oklahoma Waters? PAM has been studied for over 30 years, it is not new, and not considered a threat to swimming in Oklahoma lakes. The PAM organism is present in virtually all lakes and ponds in the Tulsa area, says to Dr. David T. Johns, of the OSU Center for Health Science in Tulsa. Hot and Dry weather increases the risk of infection because the PAM organism grows well in warm/hot water while many of its competitors do not.
How can PAM be prevented?
- Avoid going under the water in warm, shallow lakes and ponds.
- Avoid activities that force water into the nose such as jumping or diving into the water.
- Use nose clips or face masks when swimming, and particularly when diving.
- Swim in a treated pool.
The amoebae that causes PAM has to enter through the nose or be inhaled to be harmful; that's its only path to the brain, says Siewe. If you cannot see or get rid of the organism, a preventive health strategy is to stop the organism from getting into you, and you don’t get the disease.
For questions about PAM, call Mike
Smolen, OSU Water Quality Specialist at
(405) 744 8414 or Dr. Youmasu Siewe, Extension Public Health Specialist at
(405) 744 6231.