(NewsNation) — A 12-year-old boy has died in South Carolina after becoming infected with a rare brain-eating amoeba from swimming in a lake earlier this month.
The boy passed away on July 18 after contracting Naegleria fowleri, a rare brain infection, according to a statement by the law firm representing the boy’s family. Before the infection, the boy had recently gone swimming in Lake Murray, a popular lake outside of Columbia, South Carolina, the law firm said.
NewsNation affiliate WCBD reports that the South Carolina Department of Public Health became aware of the infection in early July, the first in the state since 2016.
What is brain-eating amoeba?
What is brain-eating amoeba?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Naegleria fowleri is “a free-living ameba, a kind of one-celled organism that thrives in warm freshwater, lakes, rivers, and hot springs.” However, there have been rare cases in which it’s been found in swimming pools and tap water.
If water containing the amoeba enters the nose and travels into the brain of a person, it can result in an infection known as primary amebic meningoencephalitis. The infection destroys brain tissue, which is why the infection is commonly referred to as a brain-eating amoeba.
What are symptoms?
Symptoms of the infection can include headache, fever, vomiting, stiff neck and hallucinations. While rare, the infection is nearly always fatal and progresses rapidly, with most people dying within days of contracting it. According to the CDC, fewer than 10 people in the U.S. develop the infection a year, but of the 167 cases between 1962 and 2024, only four people survived.
As for treatment, the Cleveland Clinic notes that some survivors of the infection were treated with a combination of drugs that included “amphotericin B, rifampin, fluconazole and a drug called miltefosine.”
How can you reduce exposure?
The CDC recommends that people hold their nose or wear a nose clip if jumping or diving into fresh water, and keep their head above water in hot springs. In addition, health officials advise that people use distilled or boiled water when rising their sinuses.