A free-living ameba naturally found in the environment, Balamuthia mandrillaris can cause a serious infection of the brain, other organs (skin, liver, kidneys), and rarely, spinal cord. Originally isolated from the brain of a mandrill that died of meningoencephalitis at the San Diego Zoo, Balamuthia mandrillaris is named for the late professor William Balamuth of the University of California at Berkeley, for his contributions to the study of amebae. More recently, B. mandrillaris has been shown to be transmissible through organ transplantation.