A child in Nebraska is suspected to have died from a rare instance of being infected by a brain-eating amoeba, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services said Aug. 17.
The CDC is conducting further testing to confirm, ABC News reported Aug. 18. If confirmed, it would be the first known death from Naegleria fowleri in the state. The health department said the child most likely acquired the infection while swimming in the Elkhorn River.
"Infections typically occur later in the summer, in warmer water with slower flow, in July, August, and September. Cases are more frequently identified in southern states, but more recently have been identified further north," said Matthew Donahue, MD, Nebraska's state epidemiologist. "Limiting the opportunities for freshwater to get into the nose are the best ways to reduce the risk of infection."