A person in Missouri has been hospitalized after contracting a brain-eating amoeba, possibly after water skiing in the Lake of the Ozarks, state health officials said Wednesday.
The patient, who was not identified, is being treated in an intensive care unit for a confirmed Naegleria fowleri amoeba infection, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said. Public health officials are still investigating the source of the infection, but the health department said the patient became ill days after they were at the lake.
There are two public beaches open to visitors at the Lake of the Ozarks State Park, according to the park’s website. The health department did not specify which beach the patient had gone to.
While the Naegleria fowleri organism is common in warm freshwater, the infection — called primary amebic meningoencephalitis, or PAM — is rare, health officials say. It occurs when water is forced up the nose and is able to cross into the brain, which can happen during recreational freshwater activities, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.
Between 1962 and 2024, there have been 167 reported cases of PAM in the United States, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said.
Last month, 12-year-old Jaysen Carr died in South Carolina after getting infected. The South Carolina Department of Public Health said it was the first known case in the state since 2016. Jaysen Carr’s family later spoke publicly about their son’s death, saying they “do not want this to happen to anyone else.”
To reduce the risk of infection, the CDC suggests holding your nose or wearing a nose clip if you are jumping or diving into freshwater or keeping your head above water in hot springs. Signs of infection include nausea, vomiting, fever, a severe headache, stiff neck, seizures, altered mental state and hallucinations.
You cannot get a Naegleria fowleri infection from swallowing contaminated water or from someone else who is infected.
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