Teenager dies after contracting brain-eating amoeba while swimming in popular lake

The infection is caused by Naegleria fowleri, also known as the brain-eating amoeba, which is common in warm fresh waters such as lakes , rivers and hot springs< /p> Brain-eating amoeba infection, naegleriasis (

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A young boy has died after being infected with 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 "in early October," according to the Southern Health District. Nevada.

The infection is caused by Naegleria fowleri, also known as the brain-eating amoeba, which is common in warm fresh waters 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 extremely rare, I know it brings no comfort to his family and loved ones. friends at the moment," said Dr. Fermin Leguen, the district health officer.

Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam are visible in Nevada and Arizona (

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that the amoeba can enter the body through the nose while in 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 Nebraska child who fell ill after swimming in a river and a Missouri man who contracted the infection on a beach.

The CDC says infections are rare, and only 31 Naegleria fowleri infections have been reported in the United States between 2012 and 2021.

But extreme droughts and heat, due to climate change, have made it easier for the organism to grow in the waters.