Science- Caleb Ziegelbauer is one of a few people to survive the "brain-eating amoeba" Naegleria fowleri.
- Infections rise during the summer, and are often contracted from inhaling contaminated warm water.
For five months, Caleb Ziegelbauer communicated using only his eyebrows. His facial paralysis and inability to speak were caused by an infection with a rare but extremely deadly brain-eating amoeba, which he contracted from swimming in Port Charlotte Beach, Florida in July 2022.
Now, he has become one of only a handful of people in the US to survive an infection with the Naegleria fowleri amoeba, according to the CDC.
Today, the 14-year-old is able to stand, laugh, speak some words, and have facial expressions. In an interview with NBC2, Ziegelbauer stated "I have come so far and yet I have a lot of progress."
Ziegelbauer got the infection while swimming with his family
Naegleria fowleri thrives in warm freshwater, and is typically found in lakes and rivers in the southern United States. If inhaled up the nose, it can trigger a deadly brain infection known as primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM).
On average, there are three reports of brain-eating amoeba each year — and 97% of the time, the infection is fatal. Symptoms typically begin within a week of exposure.
For reasons that aren't clear, boys ages 14 and younger are the most likely to contract the infection. Ziegelbauer was 13 at the time he contracted the infection, while swimming with his family last summer, NBC2 reported.
When Ziegelbauer was first infected, he developed a headache and fever which rose to 105 degrees, causing him to experience hallucinations. The infection lead also led to brain swelling and seizures.
Other common symptoms include nausea, vomiting, a stiff neck and coma.
But gradually, Ziegelbauer started improving.
Ziegelbauer's mother, Jesse Ziegelbauer, said to ABC News in September 2022 that her son "is made of pure grit and determination," as he entered his 50th day with the infection and was unable to open his eyes.
He left an intensive rehab program in March, NBC2 reported, and continues to improve.
Brain-eating amoebas are rare, but infections increase in the summer
According to the CDC, summer infections are more common because hot temperatures lead to higher water temperatures and lower water levels.
As global temperatures continue to rise, the amoeba is also migrating further north, Insider previously reported — last summer it was discovered for the first time in both Iowa and Nebraska.
Although the idea of contracting the amoeba is frightening, it is still rare, and it is preventable. The infection cannot be contracted by swallowing water that contains the amoeba — it can only be contracted if inhaled.
"Anyone that enjoys time in a body of water should cover their nose before they go in or use nose clips," Mirna Chamorro, Florida Department of Health in Orange County spokeswoman, said to People. Additionally, the amoeba can't survive in properly disinfected pools.
Fortunately, Ziegelbauer is home for good. In the interview with NBC2, Ziegelbauer, who wants to be an epidemiologist, said he "was going to find the cure for Covid, but now I am going to find the vaccine for Naegleria fowleri."