Brain-eating amoeba kills again—here’s how it kills and how to avoid it

Enlarge / Ahhhhhhhhhhhh (credit: Getty | James Morgan)

A 59-year-old North Carolina man died Monday, July 22, from an infection caused by the free-living amoeba Naegleria fowleri, aka the "brain-eating amoeba."

According to state officials, the man fell victim to the single-celled organism after swimming at the Fantasy Lake Water Park in Cumberland County on July 12, 2019. Laboratory testing at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention later confirmed the infection. Though N. fowleri are rare, they're almost always deadly, which has health officials calling for greater awareness.

"Our sympathies are with the family and loved ones," NC State Epidemiologist Zack Moore, MD said in a statement. "People should be aware that this organism is present in warm freshwater lakes, rivers and hot springs across North Carolina, so be mindful as you swim or enjoy water sports."

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