A genus of amebas that normally live in damp soil or mud. Naegleria species can, however, live as parasites in man and are believed to have caused some rare, but fatal, infections of the brain.
A genus of ameba present in soil, ground water, and sewage. One species, N. fowleri, is the cause of a rapidly lethal form of hemorrhagic meningoencephalitis (brain and meningeal infection). Other species include N. gruberi and N. lovaniensis.