MOOSE, WY (KCWY) After a brain-eating amoeba was detected in Grand Tetons National Park in Wyoming, people have been steering clear of the water.
The amoeba, called Naegleria fowleri, can destroy brain tissue and lead to death.
“Naegleria fowleri, if it gets into the nasal passages, can cause primary amoebic meningitis, which can be fatal,” Sue Consolo-Murphy, Chief of Science and Resource Management, says.
United States Geological Survey researchers have also found the amoeba in streams and pools near to Kelly Warm Spring and in Huckleberry Hot Springs and Polecat Springs in the John D. Rockefeller Parkway between Grand Teton National Park, and Yellowstone National Park. Wading or swimming is not allowed in those springs.
“There’s no one in here today swimming in the water, but it’s not uncommon to come out here and see people wading, swimming, splashing around,” said Consolo-Murphy.