LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Officials say a person has died after they were exposed to a rare brain-eating amoeba at a country club in Little Rock, Arkansas.
The Arkansas Department of Health said the person died from a Naegleria fowleri infection. It is a rare infection that destroys brain tissue. It can lead to brain swelling and death in some cases.
It is believed that the person was likely exposed at the splash pad at the Country of Little Rock.
The Arkansas Department of Health sent samples from the pool and splash pads to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC was able to confirm that the splash pad sample had viable Naegleria fowleri.
The country club voluntarily closed its pool and splash pad, according to KAIT.
The Arkansas Department of Health said, according to the news outlet, that “there is no ongoing risk to the public related to this exposure.”
The last case that was reported in Arkansas was in 2013, health officials say.
Symptoms of the infection include severe headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, and progresses to a stiff neck, seizures, and a coma often that could lead to death, according to KAIT.
The CDC recommends a few precautions:
- Avoid jumping in warm fresh water, especially in the summer.
- Hold your nose shut when in warm fresh water either with nose clips or keeping your head above water.
- Avoid putting your head underwater in hot springs.
- Avoid digging or stirring up sediment in warm fresh water.
More information about the Naegleria fowleri can be found on the CDC’s website.
