Unusual Firefighter's Death.

[firedoc5]

MURRIETA, Calif. -- He survived battles with wildfires, but lost his fight against a rare and deadly parasite.

Loved ones spoke Wednesday after Captain Matt Moore died in a San Diego hospital.

It wasn’t fire that would claim the life of Matt Moore, but something else.

For seventeen years, brothers Matt and Mark Moore faced their share of risk as firefighters in Murrieta, California.

“It's just shocking to me. You don't think of those things. You think of common dangers out there as a firefighter,” said Mark Moore.

Compared to those dangers, the flu-like symptoms Matt came down with in November seemed minor.

Matt had just spent weeks fighting fires near Murrieta, even as wildfires swept across San Diego county.

Mark now believes something his brother breathed in would kill him.

He had severe headaches and it just kept getting worse and worse.

By January, Matt was being treated in San Diego. A biopsy showed his brain had been attacked by the parasite Balamuthia mandrillaris, a rare amoeba that lives in soil.

Once the amoeba gets inside humans, few people survive. Matt died Monday.

Wednesday morning, a procession of family and firefighters escorted his body from San Diego to Murrieta.

“It's heartwarming and at the same time heartbreaking,” added Mark. “Now his children don’t have a father. That's hard.”

Matt Moore, a father of three children, will be buried in Murrieta next Thursday.

[EmergencyMedicalTigger]

How random is that? If the cigarettes, drugs, alcohol, fattening foods, and job don't kill ya, the amoeba in the soil will!

[JPINFV]

I'd rather have dirt amoebas than the water amoebas. (There's a reason why I ask about hot springs in the scenarios).

[Dustdevil]

Matt Moore, a father of three children, will be buried in Murrieta next Thursday.

Next Thursday? Matt was obviously not Jewish.

Godspeed, Bro. I hope we can learn something from this.

[wbgraidermom]

My prayers are with his family at this time. May God keep you close and teach us on this parasite.

[LisaO925]

I'd rather have dirt amoebas than the water amoebas. (There's a reason why I ask about hot springs in the scenarios).

There was a fascinating show on Animal Planet last night about parasites, worms, and other critters found inside the human body.

This one man pulled out X amount of feet of a tape worm outa his rectum after eating a fish that wasn't cooked all the way on a camping trip. :shock: His poor wife! lol He called her in to "see it" as it was hanging out his bum. He then started pulling, and pulling, until it couldn't come anymore (the head was attached) and then made her cut the thing. And without missing a beat, he calmly described as "it somehow went back inside".. :shock: :shock:

[LisaO925]

My prayers are with his family at this time. May God keep you close......

Amen

[ERDoc]

As a side note, the caduseus is a representation of Dracunculus medinensis or the Guinea worm. They are the longest nematodes and live under the skin in infected people. The way they were removed back in the day was to twist them around a stick and slowly turn the stick until the entire worm was out. The twisting of the worms on the stick is thought to be represented by the caduseus.

Here is a picture.

[Scaramedic]

As a side note, the caduseus is a representation of Dracunculus medinensis or the Guinea worm. They are the longest nematodes and live under the skin in infected people. The way they were removed back in the day was to twist them around a stick and slowly turn the stick until the entire worm was out. The twisting of the worms on the stick is thought to be represented by the caduseus.

Here is a picture.

Thanks Doc, I am going to throw my lunch away now!