The 16 year-old boy from Broward County, Fla., who was the fourth known person to become infected with the brain-eating amoeba this year has recovered after being admitted to Florida Hospital for Children in Orlando on Aug. 7, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
The amoeba, Naegleria fowleri, is native to warm freshwater. Infection occurs when the amoeba enters the body through the nose. The infection causes primary amebic meningoencephalitis and is almost always fatal. According to the CDC, there were 138 cases of PAM in the United States between 1962 and 2015. Of those cases, just three survived.
The boy was treated with the drug Impravido, generically known as miltefosine. The drug is the only available treatment for the infection and can cost as much as $48,000. The treatment just became available for hospitals to order this year.
Todd MacLaughlan, the CEO of Profounda, the manufacturer of the drug, previously expressed optimism regarding the Broward County boy's case, because the patient was treated with the drug very quickly. It was shipped to the hospital in less than 30 minutes.
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