Naegleria Fowleri - History of Discovery

History of Discovery

Physicians M. Fowler and R. F. Carter first described human disease caused by ameboflagellates in Australia in 1965. Their work on ameboflagellates has provided an example of how a protozoan can effectively live both freely in the environment, and in a human host. Since 1965, more than 144 cases have been confirmed in a variety of countries. In 1966, Fowler termed the infection resulting from N. fowleri primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (P.A.M.) to distinguish this central nervous system (C.N.S.) invasion from other secondary invasions caused by other true amoebas such as Entamoeba histolytica. A retrospective study determined the first documented case of P.A.M. possibly occurred in Britain in 1909.

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