OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — On Friday morning the Douglas County Health Department said in a news release that the CDC confirmed Naegleria fowleri, A.K.A. brain-eating amoeba, was the cause of death in a Douglas County child who died after swimming in the Elkhorn River. That organism, say the health department, is responsible for causing Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM).
The news release continued:
"The Douglas County Health Department (DCHD) urges residents to take precautions while being exposed to freshwater sources such as rivers, lakes, and streams. Naegleria fowleri is present in many freshwater sources and is being identified further north as previously cooler regions become warmer and drier.
The single-celled organism can infect people when water containing the amoeba enters the body through the nose, usually while swimming or diving. A person cannot be infected by drinking contaminated water, and the infection does not spread from person to person. Symptoms usually occur from 1-12 days following infection and may include headache, fever, nausea, or vomiting. These symptoms may progress to a stiff neck, confusion, seizures, and other neurological symptoms. Death occurs in 97% of cases within about 5 days of symptoms starting.
Plugging the nose, avoiding submerging the head and/or avoiding water entering the nose, avoiding stirring up sediment, and avoiding freshwater sources during later summer weeks when water temperatures rise, and water levels decrease can reduce the risk of PAM. Activities that allow or force water into the nose, eyes, or mouth, such as water skiing and high-speed tubing, increase risk.
Testing natural water sources is not generally recommended because the organism naturally occurs in more freshwater bodies."
Thursday press conference from the Douglas County Health Department:
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