Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis in Thailand: report of a case and review literatures.

ABSTRACT

Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) which is caused by free-living amoeba, Naegleria fowleri, is a rare disease. We report the fifth case in Thailand in order to add more information. The patient was a previously healthy 4 1/2-year-old girl from Nakhon Pathom province. For several weeks before this illness she had swum in a water supply canal. She developed high fever with change in consciousness. Her cerebrospinal fluid contained numerous Naegleria fowleri which grew in culture media and mice inoculation. She did not respond to treatment with intravenous and intraventricular amphotericin B, and oral rifampicin. She died on the fifth day of illness. Water sample from the canal also grew N. fowleri. All five reported cases in Thailand were reviewed. It was found that none of them had been exposed to a common source. Four of the five cases were male, and four cases occurred during the summer months, March to May. These findings agree with worldwide information.