TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Kaohsiung City Government Department of Health on Monday (June 24) confirmed that a man had died of amoebic dysentery.

Local media reported a year ago that the examination of a man with headaches appeared to show he had been infected with a brain-eating amoeba and died of encephalitis. However, the health bureau confirmed the individual had amoebic dysentery, per CNA.

Last year, the China Times reported that a man in Kaohsiung was admitted to the hospital and had a CT scan and MRI that revealed diffuse brain lesions. He was diagnosed as having Naegleria fowleri, also referred to as the “brain-eating amoeba.” 

However, on July 22 last year, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital reported the case as amoebic dysentery, and it was confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) the same day. The man died July 31, 2023.

Even so, the Kaohsiung City Government Department of Health issued a press release Monday folliwing a review at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. This confirmed the 69-year-old man had "suspected amoebic dysentery." 

Amoebic dysentery is an infection caused when a parasite called Entamoeba histolytica enters the digestive system, according to the Cleveland Clinic. 

The parasite can enter the body through food and drink, or via the parasite's eggs. Symptoms include, cramping, diarrhea, fever, loose stools, and nausea.

There have been no confirmed cases of Naegleria fowleri in Taiwan this year. The most recent case was a woman in her 30s who was diagnosed in 2023, per ETtoday.

The health department advised that Naegleria fowleri infections typically occur in the summer. It urged the public to avoid getting water in their noses while swimming or soaking in hot springs.