North Carolina child dies from rare brain infection linked to swim in private pond

A North Carolina child died from a brain infection caused by an amoeba last week after swimming in a private pond, public health officials said Tuesday. 

The illness took the child's life Friday following a swim in a pond near her home earlier this month, the state Department of Health and Human Resources said. The amoeba that caused the sickness is naturally present in freshwater. 

"Our heart-felt condolences and sympathies are with the family and friends of this child," state epidemiologist Zack Moore said in a statement. "Although these infections are very rare, this is an important reminder that this amoeba is present in North Carolina and that there are actions people can take to reduce their risk of infection when swimming in the summer."

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the illness was caused by Naegleria fowleri, a one-celled amoeba that infects the brain.

Symptoms start with severe headaches, fever, nausea and vomiting, which can progress to a stiff neck, seizures, coma and can lead to death.

Infections are rare but usually occur during long periods of hot weather. Naegleria fowleri grows best at high temperatures up to 115 degrees. 

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The organism doesn't cause illness if swallowed but can be fatal if forced up the nose, which can occur upon jumping and diving into water and water-skiing, among other aquatic activities. Health officials recommend avoiding swimming in freshwater during periods of high water temperatures and low water levels. 

From 1962 to 2019, only 147 people in the United States were knowingly infected with Naegleria fowleri, officials said. North Carolina had six cases during that period. 

Earlier this month, a California boy, 7, died from a brain-eating amoeba after swimming in a lake. David Pruitt had been diagnosed with primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), which is caused by Naegleria fowleri.

August 19, 2021 at 09:46AM
Louis Casiano
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