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Challenges and advances in the medical treatment of granulomatous amebic encephalitis.

ABSTRACT: Granulomatous amebic encephalitis, caused by the free-living amebae Balamuthia mandrillaris or Acanthamoeba species, is a rare and deadly infectious syndrome with a current mortality rate of >90%. Much work remains to define the optimal treatment for these infections. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the supporting evidence behind antimicrobials currently recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with updated statistics on survival rates and medication usage from the CDC Free-Living Ameba Database. We also discuss promising treatments, especially the emerging therapeutic agent nitroxoline, and provide recommendations for the next steps in this area.

SUBMITTER: Spottiswoode N

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10838035 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan-Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Challenges and advances in the medical treatment of granulomatous amebic encephalitis.

Spottiswoode Natasha N Haston Julia C JC Hanners Natasha W NW Gruenberg Katherine K Kim Annie A DeRisi Joseph L JL Wilson Michael R MR

Therapeutic advances in infectious disease 20240101

Granulomatous amebic encephalitis, caused by the free-living amebae <i>Balamuthia mandrillaris</i> or <i>Acanthamoeba</i> species, is a rare and deadly infectious syndrome with a current mortality rate of >90%. Much work remains to define the optimal treatment for these infections. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the supporting evidence behind antimicrobials currently recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with updated statistics on survival rates and me ...[more]

PMID: 38312848

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