A young boy has died after being infected by a rare brain-eating amoeba, after swimming in a popular Lake in Nevada.
The patient, identified only as a male under the age of 18, was likely exposed while on the Arizona side of Lake Mead “at the beginning of October,” according to the Southern Nevada Health District.
The infection is caused by Naegleria fowleri, also known as brain-eating amoeba, which is common in warm bodies of freshwater such as lakes, rivers and hot springs.
“My condolences go out to the family of this young man. While I want to reassure the public that this type of infection is an extremely rare occurrence, I know this brings no comfort to his family and friends at this time" said Dr Fermin Leguen, the district’s health officer.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the amoeba can enter the body through the nose when in the water, where it then travels up the nose to the brain.
This is at least the third fatal Naegleria fowleri infection this year, including a child in Nebraska who fell ill after swimming in a river and a Missouri man who contracted the infection at a beach.
The CDC says infections are rare and only 31 Naegleria fowleri infections were reported in the US between 2012 and 2021.
But extreme droughts and heat, as a result of climate change, have made it easier for the organism to thrive in waters.
Once in the brain, it causes an illness known as primary amebic meningoencephalitis which gives symptoms such as headache, fever, nausea or vomiting and then progresses to a stiff neck, seizures and coma that can lead to death.
The National Park Service will continue to allow recreational swimming at Lake Mead, according to the park’s release.
US Public Health Service Officer Dr Maria Said explained in a statement that the decision took into account that “the organism exists naturally and commonly in the environment but the disease is extremely rare.”
The park urged people to take precautions recommended by the CDC, which include avoiding jumping and diving into warm freshwater, holding or clipping their nose shut when swimming, keeping their head above water and avoiding submerging their heads in hot springs.
In July Caleb Ziegelbaue, 13, was hospitalised in Florida after contracting a deadly brain-eating amoeba. In a rare case, he has been taken off his ventilator but is still fighting for his life.
Usually, the disease causes death quite quickly.
His aunt Katie Chiet posted on a GoFundMe page raising money for his treatment.
"His MRI scan continues to show damage in his brain but we remain hopeful that he'll turn the corner soon and make his way back to us!" The page said.
