I understand that it primarily enters the body through the nose by by "feeding on the olfactory neurons in the nose" as answered here in a different question. Would the nerve cells in the eyes present a similar entryway?
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$\begingroup$ @Gabriel could you perhaps opine on this? $\endgroup$– JarnalOct 14, 2012 at 23:14
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In a 1987 article "Nonenteric Infections Acquired through Contact with Water", the author mentioned that "Infection of the ears, throat, respiratory tract, and cornea are also encountered" by virulent strains of Acanthamoeba and Naegleria fowleri. The only reference that implicates Naegleria fowleri is this one, but it doesn't mention modes of infection.
The long and the short of it is that Acanthamoeba infections can be acquired through contact with the cornea, but it's not clear whether Naegleria infections can also be acquired in this way.
n.b. The first link takes you to the JSTOR page. In the event you do not have access, here is the PubMed page.
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$\begingroup$ Is the extract you quoted specific to Naegleria fowleri or just water borne pathogens in general? Thanks for your input. $\endgroup$– JarnalMar 5, 2013 at 11:06
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1$\begingroup$ @Jarnal: I edited the post to answer your comment-question, but I am aware that this doesn't answer the original question. I cannot provide that answer; I only delved into the article posted by ohcanada. $\endgroup$– blepMar 27, 2013 at 15:38
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$\begingroup$ @dd3, thanks, your input provided helpful clarification. $\endgroup$– JarnalApr 3, 2013 at 9:30