Yeah, you don't have to tell me twice.
Officials in Nevada are warning swimmers and boaters to stay clear of the hot springs in Lake Mead, located just outside Las Vegas at the Hoover Dam, because of a deadly brain-eating amoeba.
"Naegleria fowleri has been found in hot springs," according to a spokesperson for Lake Mead National Recreation Area.
"This amoeba enters through the nose and can cause a deadly infection that causes a sudden and severe headache, fever, and vomiting."
The infection has a near 100% mortality rate. If this thing gets in your brain, it's likely over for you.
In 60 years, only 157 people have been known to contract the infection, and of that number, only 4 survived.
However, the detected presence of the amoeba makes officials cautious.
According to the CDC, Nagleria fowleri can cause the deadly primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), which destroys brain tissue.
The recommendation is to not allow yourself to be submerged in water, since the amoeba enters through the nose and then up to the brain.
The warmer the water, the more likely the amoeba is to grow. So summer months are, of course, most dangerous, and places like these hot springs would also likely be hotbeds for infection.
And, yeah, I'm not going to be taking many chances. I'll hold my nose!
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