Boy Killed by Brain-Eating Amoeba
(DailyVantage.com) – It might sound like the plot from a science fiction novel, but contracting a case of brain-eating amoeba, though extremely rare, is devastatingly dangerous. Those infected almost always die. Doctors have only documented approximately 430 cases of the parasite worldwide. Unfortunately, the pathogen recently killed a boy from Clark County, Nevada.
During the last weekend of September, the boy, who remains unnamed because he’s a minor, visited the Arizona side of Lake Mead, where health officials believe he came in contact with the amoeba, medically known as Naegleria fowleri. Approximately a week later, he developed symptoms of infection from the deadly single-celled pathogen, including nausea, vomiting, fever, and headache. The parasite typically kills within five days of symptoms presenting.
Despite the boy’s death, the National Park Service didn’t close the area. Officials also declined to post signs warning recreational swimmers of the parasite’s presence.
This year, the Lake Mead incident is the third death due to the brain-eating amoeba. The other two occurred in the Midwest in Nebraska and Iowa over the summer.
Health officials say those who swim in warm freshwater bodies should take extra precautions. Keep your nose above water, but if you must go under, limit the amount of water your nose comes in contact with using a clip or other swimming device.
Copyright 2022, DailyVantage.com
