Occurrence of pathogen Naegleria fowleri in northwestern Wyoming hot springs

N. fowleri is the causative agent of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a rare, but virulent disease that is often fatal (Martinez and Visvesvara, 1997). PAM is primarily contracted by individuals swimming in warm freshwater lakes and rivers, hot springs, and canals (Yoder and others, 20I0) where N. fowleri   can thrive. While swimming in these water bodies, N. fowleri can enter nasal passages of both humans and wildlife, migrate to the brain, then consume tissue. In recent years, cases have been documented in the United States in expanded geographic locations (Kemble and others, 2012). The expanded range and increase of infections suggest more people are at risk of exposure to N. fowleri than previously thought, and highlights a need for new tools to rapidly assess waters considered high risk. By providing resource managers with improved science-based information, they can better inform the public and potentially prevent sickness or death. 

In 2001, researchers investigated the presence of N. fowleri at 23 geothermal sites in Yellowstone National Park (YELL) and Grand Teton National Park (Sheehan and others, 2003). During this single sampling event, Sheehan and others (2003) documented the presence of Naegleria species in geothermal sites in both parks, and specifically detected N. fowleri in three YELL sites, including the often visited areas of Boiling River, Seismic Geyser, and Mallard Lake Trail. Since Sheehan and others, no additional research has been conducted to confirm the presence of these pathogens in popular YELL hot springs, identify the time of year when they may be prevalent, or identify the geochemical and environmental factors that influence their presence. Since 2001, new methods to detect the presence of N. fowleri have been developed.

In 2016, a multidisciplinary team from the U.S. Geological Survey Wyoming-Montana Water Science Center, National Park Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Montana State University’s Department of Microbiology and Immunology, in cooperation with the Teton Conservation District, initiated a small study to document the presence or absence or N. fowleri at several hot springs in Grand Teton National Park/John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway (GRTE/JODR). During sampling events in 2016-2017, N. fowleri was detected in several of the GRTE/JODR hot springs. The team also found that the prevalence of N. fowleri may be subject to seasonal fluctuations. Detections of N. fowleri promted GRTE/JODR and CDC staff to post notices at the affected water bodies.

All sample collection was completed in 2020. The data describing the organisms found in each water body, as well as a report describing the occurrence of the organisms and how that relates the water they reside in is currently in progress.

Click here for access to the next-generation sequencing data from the Grand Teton National Park hot springs in the National Center for Biotechnology Information database.