Braineaters

Braineaters is a term used to describe organisms that feed on brain tissue. In scientific contexts, it is most closely associated with brain-eating amoebae such as Naegleria fowleri, a free-living amoeba found in warm freshwater. These organisms can invade the human body through the nose, migrate to the brain, and cause a rapidly progressive and often fatal infection known as primary amebic meningoencephalitis. Infections are rare but carry a high mortality rate; person-to-person transmission does not occur, and prevention focuses on avoiding exposure to contaminated water and using safe water sources during nasal activities.

In popular culture, braineaters is a trope used to describe parasitic or undead beings that consume or control brain tissue. They appear in horror novels, films, and video games, frequently as dangerous antagonists with varying degrees of sentience and aggression. The term conveys a sense of rapid cognitive decline in the host and a violent feeding dynamic, though individual depictions differ in tone and detail.

Related topics include brain-eating amoebae from the genus Naegleria and, less commonly, Acanthamoeba species that can cause encephalitis. These organisms are biologically distinct from fictional braineaters and differ in modes of transmission and prevalence. Public health emphasis rests on early recognition and medical treatment in confirmed cases, and on prevention through water safety and environmental controls.

See also: Naegleria fowleri; brain-eating amoeba; zombie fiction.