Dr. David Siderovski shares expertise in Washington Post article about brain-eating amoeba
Dr. David Siderovski, professor of pharmacology and neuroscience at the College of
Biomedical and Translational Sciences, was recently quoted in the Washington Post
article about the brain-eating amoeba Naegleria fowleri.
Though infections are rare, the article highlights the increased risk of coming into contact with the amoeba during the summer when water temperatures heat up and more people are spending time in lakes and rivers. It also provides a list of ways to avoid infection if you are planning to go swimming in freshwater this summer.
One of the tips is to avoid jumping into bodies of freshwater. Here’s an excerpt from the article:
“Not getting your face wet is best, though not always realistic. If you do go underwater during a freshwater swim, it’s safer not to jump or dive in, experts said. “That is going to force water up your nose, and it’s that route of entry that we should avoid,” said David Siderovski, a professor of pharmacology and neuroscience at the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth. To be safe, the CDC recommends holding your nose or using a nose clip when jumping or diving into water that might be harboring Naegleria fowleri.”
Dr. Siderovski’s expertise on the subject is backed by his years of research to unravel the mechanics inside deadly infectious amoebas like Entamoeba histolytica and Naegleria fowleri with the goal of developing unique drugs against these water-borne infections.
You can read the full article in the Washington Post here:
Brain-eating amoebas are rare. But hot weather increases the risk.