Rare brain-eating amoeba infection kills boy



A Nevada resident, who was younger than 18 years old, passed away due to a rare infection with a brain-eating amoeba, according to the Southern Nevada Health District, which reported that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that naegleria fowleri was confirmed as the reason for the individual's illness.

According to a Southern Nevada Health District investigation, the deceased person may have encountered the deadly organism on the Arizona side of Lake Mead and then began to experience symptoms about a week later.

"My condolences go out to the family of this young man," said Dr. Fermin Leguen, District Health Officer of the Southern Nevada Health District. "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."

This marks the first confirmed death due to naegleria fowleri from potential exposure at Lake Mead National Recreation Area, according to the National Park Service.

"The National Park Service, working with the NPS Office of Public Health, has made the decision to continue to allow recreational swimming at Lake Mead National Recreation as the organism exists naturally and commonly in the environment but disease is extremely rare," noted U.S Public Health Service Officer Dr. Maria Said. "However, recreational water users should always assume there is a risk anytime they enter warm fresh water."

A CDC webpage about the brain-eating amoeba notes that the organism is found in warm freshwater and soil — when water with such an amoeba gets into an individual's nose and then moves up to the brain, the result can be fatal.

"Naegleria fowleri infects people when water containing the ameba enters the body through the nose. This typically happens when people go swimming, diving, or when they put their heads under fresh water, like in lakes and rivers. The ameba then travels up the nose to the brain, where it destroys the brain tissue and causes a devastating infection called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). PAM is almost always fatal," according to the CDC.

The initial symptoms of PAM generally begin around five days following infection but can begin within one to 12 days, according to the CDC.

"Symptoms may include headache, fever, nausea, or vomiting. Later symptoms can include stiff neck, confusion, lack of attention to people and surroundings, seizures, hallucinations, and coma. After symptoms start, the disease progresses rapidly and usually causes death within about 5 days (but death can happen within 1 to 18 days)," the CDC states.

Here is a news report from Fox5 Las Vegas about the boy's death:

SNHD: Juvenile dies from brain-eating amoeba at Lake Mead www.youtube.com

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issues disaster declaration after brain-eating amoeba reportedly kills 6-year-old boy



Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) issued a disaster declaration after the discovery of a brain-eating amoeba in a Lake Jackson water supply.

The brain-eating amoeba — naegleria fowleri — is reportedly responsible for the death of a six-year-old boy in the area.

What are the details?

According to CBS News, Abbott issued the disaster declaration on Sunday, and it extends to Brazoria County at large.

A portion of Abbott's disaster declaration states that "the presence of naegleria fowleri, which can cause a rare and devastating infection of the brain called primary amebic meningoencephalitis, was identified in three of 11 tests of the water supply, posing an imminent threat to public health and safety, including loss of life."

"Any regulatory statute ... that would in any way prevent, hinder, or delay necessary action in coping with this disaster shall be suspended," the declaration adds.

Residents are under a "boil water" notice at the time of this reporting.

The organism typically infects people through contaminated water entering the nose. Naegleria fowleri can cause fatal cases of amoebic meningoencephalitis.

KHOU-TV reports that the six-year-old boy likely caught the infection from a public splash pad or a garden hose, and the subsequent tests on the water supply confirmed the presence of the amoeba in the Lake Jackson water supply.

On Friday, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality announced the potential contamination, warning at least eight communities away from using their tap water except for toilet flushing.

On Saturday, the commission lifted the warnings for all impacted cities in Brazoria save for Lake Jackson.

The city's mayor, Bob Sipple, announced on Saturday his own disaster declaration, which activated the local Emergency Operations Center and permitted officials to acquire the necessary additional resources from the state.

You can watch CBS News' video report on the announcement here.

According to KHOU, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is working with the City of Lake Jackson, the Texas Division of Emergency Management, the Texas Department of State Health Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Environmental Protection Agency to resolve the ongoing water issue.

In a statement, Abbott said, "The state of Texas is taking swift action to respond to the situation and support the communities whose water systems have been impacted by this ameba [sic]. I urge Texans in Lake Jackson to follow the guidance of local officials and take the appropriate precautions to protect their health and safety as we work to restore safe tap water in the community."

What about the little boy?

KTVT-TV reported that the child, Josiah Christopher McIntyre, was very ill prior to his untimely death.

His mother, Maria Castillo, said, "Friday it was vomiting and throwing up and still the headache, but I mean kids get sick. It's normal. Kids vomit. Kids run a fever."

The child's family initially worried that Josiah — who had played at a local splash pad — was infected with COVID-19, but he tested negative for the virus just a day later.

On Sunday, the family took the child to Texas Children's Hospital, which administered a CT scan that showed swelling of the six-year-old's brain.

The child died on Sept. 8, and doctors later determined that his brain swelled due to naegleria fowleri.

Castillo says she still wants to know precisely how her son contracted the amoeba.

"We want to know as a family, you know, for a peace of mind," she told the station. "It won't bring him back. It probably won't make us feel better. But the fact that we know how he got it, how he contracted it, just gives us that peace of mind that we can that we know."