Mo

aMOeba
naegleria fowleri

colloquially known as the brain-eating amoeba, is a species of the genus Naegleria. It belongs to the phylum Percolozoa and is technically classified as an amoeboflagellate excavate, rather than a true amoeba. This free-living microorganism primarily feeds on bacteria but can become pathogenic in humans, causing an extremely rare, sudden, severe, and usually fatal brain infection known as naegleriasis or primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM).

Typically found in warm freshwater bodies such as ponds or badly managed pools  lakes, rivers, hot springs, warm water discharge from industrial or power plants, geothermal well water, poorly maintained or minimally chlorinated swimming pools with residual chlorine levels under 0.5 mg/m³, water heaters, soil, and pipes connected to tap water, it can exist in either an amoeboid or temporary flagellate stage.