A case of Fowler's free amoeba infection, which causes fatal encephalitis, has been confirmed for the first time in Korea.
A man in his 50s died of encephalitis after returning from Thailand after staying for four months. Fowler's free amoeba genes were detected in his blood and cerebrospinal fluid.
A stimulating article titled 'brain-eating amoeba' appeared over this, but it is wrong.
The infection reporting rules prepared in 2020 by the Korea Science Journalist Association and others prohibit exaggerated or irritating expressions.
This is because headlines such as 'killer mite piercing holes in the brain' not only hinder the cold perception of infectious diseases, but also caused social confusion, such as arousing disgust among patients and those around them.
This is also why we don't call COVID-19 or hepatitis viruses lung- or liver-eating viruses.
(Photo = Twitter capture, Yonhap News)