dpA central North Carolina teenager is critically ill with a rare infection caused by an amoeba commonly found in warm freshwater, state health officials said Thursday.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said the teen has an infection caused by Naegleria fowleri, a microscopic organism that can damage the brain. NCHHS did not say where the teen was in the water to encounter the amoeba, but Naegleria fowleri poses a danger to anyone who swims in warm lakes, rivers or ponds.
Infection can happen when contaminated water is forced up the nose, such as when someone dives or jumps into warm freshwater. The amoeba is not found in salt water or in properly maintained and chlorinated swimming pools, according to health officials.
To protect the family’s privacy, no identifying information was released.
“Our hearts go out to this teen’s family, friends and loved ones as they navigate this difficult time,” State Epidemiologist Dr. Zack Moore said.
Moore said the infections are extremely rare but serve as a reminder that the amoeba is found in North Carolina and elsewhere in the United States.
The infection, known as primary amebic meningoencephalitis, or PAM, can cause severe headache, fever, nausea and vomiting. Symptoms can quickly progress to a stiff neck, seizures and coma.
The disease moves rapidly and is usually fatal within about five days after symptoms begin. Fewer than 10 cases are typically reported each year in the United States.
“It does carry a very high mortality, meaning over 95%, because it’s directly involving the brain,” said Dr. David Weber, a UNC Health infectious disease expert.
Because the infection is so uncommon, it’s difficult to study and develop therapies to combat it, Weber said.
“The risk of drowning is much, much higher than getting a Naegleria infection,” Weber said.
Infections are more likely during long stretches of hot weather, when water temperatures rise and water levels fall. The amoeba grows best in warm water and can survive at temperatures as high as 115 degrees.
Health officials emphasize that infections from the amoeba are extremely rare, but Debra Moffat said families who have lost loved ones to PAM take issue with that description.
Moffat’s son, Aven, died in 2021 after contracting PAM. He was just six years old.
“You can ask anyone who has been affected by this amoeba, and we hate the word ‘rare,'” Moffat said. “It’s probably the one thing that drives us the most crazy, because it’s rare until it happens to you.”
Moffat said she believes taking a swim in freshwater is not worth it.
“We put our kids in car seats, and we put them in life jackets when they’re on boats,” she said. “Swimming in freshwater is a risk that’s not necessary.”
While treatments and therapies for PAM are limited, Moffat said she remains hopeful and encouraged by ongoing research to better understand the infection.
NCDHHS offered these safety measures for those who want to cool off in lakes or ponds:
- Prevent water going up your nose by holding your nose shut or use nose clips
- Keep your head above water when swimming or playing freshwater.
- Avoid putting your head under water in hot springs and thermal waters.
- Avoid jumping or diving in warm freshwater during periods of high water temperatures and low water levels.
- Avoid digging in or stirring up the sediment of lakes, ponds or rivers.
