Nebraska child likely died of a brain-eating-amoeba infection

The death of a child in Nebraska is believed to be caused by a brain-eating amoeba.

Humans rarely contract Naegleria fowleri, a single-celled organisms that lives in warm fresh water and soil. 98% of people who contract the disease die, according to the CDC. Four of the 154 people who were affected survived.

According to The Washington Post, the child likely became sick when swimming in the river near Omaha. In the late summer, when water temperatures are the highest, N. fowleri thrives in warm, shallow water. According to Nebraska health authorities, infections are being reported further north due to climate change. As global temperatures rise, the pathogen will likely expand its range, according to a report in the journal Trends in Parasitology.

The amoeba travels through the nose to the brain. There is a condition called primary amobic meningoencephalitis, which is marked by inflammation, degradation and swelling of brain tissue. Symptoms such as headaches, nausea, vomiting, stiff neck, confusion and seizures usually start about five days after exposure. According to the CDC, the early symptoms are similar to the much more common and far more treatable condition ofBacterial Meningitis and should be seen by a doctor immediately. It can't be spread from person to person.

The brain-eating amoeba is very dangerous.

Natural fresh water, such as rivers, lakes, streams or hot springs, is where most N fowleri infections occur. The amoeba cannot survive in salt water or swimming pools. The water has to enter the nose. Infections of N. fowleri are rare.

Nebraska's state epidemiologist said in a statement that "millions of recreational water infections occur each year, while only a few Naegleria fowleri are identified each year."

During times of high water temperatures and low water levels, Donahue recommends limiting fresh water access to the nose. nose plugs, not dunking the head, and not digging up underwater mud are some of the ways to reduce the risk of becoming an amoeba.

It was originally published on Live Science