Current:Home > FinancePerson dies of rare brain-eating amoeba traced to splash pad at Arkansas country club -Clarity Finance Guides
Person dies of rare brain-eating amoeba traced to splash pad at Arkansas country club
View
Date:2025-04-12 17:18:20
An Arkansas resident has died after contracting an infection from a rare brain-eating amoeba at a splash pad.
According to the Arkansas Department of Health, which did not release the age, gender or date of death of the person, the resident died from a Naegleria fowleri infection, which destroys brain tissue, causing brain swelling and in certain cases, death.
After an investigation, which included sending samples from the pool and splash pad to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the health department said the person was likely exposed at a splash pad at the Country Club of Little Rock.
The CDC reported one splash pad sample sent by the Arkansas Department of Health was confirmed to have "viable" Naegleria fowleri, according to a release, and the remaining samples are still pending.
The Country Club of Little Rock voluntarily closed the pool and splash pad, and the health department said there is no ongoing risk to the public.
Naegleria fowleri is rare – the last case reported in Arkansas was in 2013 – cannot infect people if swallowed and is not spread from person to person. According to the CDC, only around three people in the U.S. are infected by Naegleria fowleri each year, but those infections are usually fatal.
What is Naegleria fowleri?
Naegleria fowleri is an amoeba, or a single-celled living organism. It lives in soil and warm fresh water, including lakes, rivers and hot springs. It can also be found in pools and splash pads that are not properly maintained, according to the Arkansas Department of Health.
According to the CDC, it is commonly called the "brain-eating amoeba" because it can cause a brain infection when water containing the amoeba goes up the nose.
More:Doctors lost a man's 'likely cancerous' tumor before they could test it. Now he's suing.
Naegleria fowleri symptoms
You cannot become infected with Naegleria fowleri from drinking contaminated water, and it only comes from having contaminated water go up your nose.
According to the CDC, symptoms start between one to 12 days after swimming or having another nasal exposure to contaminated water, and people die one to 18 days after symptoms begin. According to the CDC, it can be difficult to detect because the disease progresses so rapidly that a diagnosis sometimes occurs after the person dies.
Symptoms include:
Stage 1
- Severe frontal headache
- Fever
- Nausea
- Vomiting
Stage 2
- Stiff neck
- Seizures
- Altered mental status
- Hallucinations
- Coma
veryGood! (7273)
Related
- Macy's says employee who allegedly hid $150 million in expenses had no major 'impact'
- Ex-NFL player Sergio Brown missing after his mother killed near Chicago-area home
- 2 pilots killed in crash at Reno air race
- Hurricanes almost never hit New England. That could change as the Earth gets hotter.
- See you latte: Starbucks plans to cut 30% of its menu
- What Detroit automakers have to give the UAW to get a deal, according to experts
- Hundreds of flying taxis to be made in Ohio, home of the Wright brothers and astronaut legends
- Julie Chen Moonves Says She Felt Stabbed in the Back Over The Talk Departure
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- AP PHOTOS: Moroccan earthquake shattered thousands of lives
Ranking
- The Grammy nominee you need to hear: Esperanza Spalding
- A Black student was suspended for his hairstyle. The school says it wasn’t discrimination
- In Miami, It’s No Coincidence Marginalized Neighborhoods Are Hotter
- Pennsylvania police search for 9 juveniles who escaped from detention facility during a riot
- Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
- Fatah gives deadline for handover of general’s killers amid fragile truce in Lebanon refugee camp
- Australia tells dating apps to improve safety standards to protect users from sexual violence
- You Won't Believe How Much Money Katy Perry Just Sold Her Music Rights For
Recommendation
Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
CBS News Biden-Trump poll finds concerns about Biden finishing a second term, and voters' finances also weigh on Biden
Russell Brand allegations mount: Comedian dropped from agent, faces calls for investigation
58,000 pounds of ground beef recalled over possible E. coli contamination
Former Danish minister for Greenland discusses Trump's push to acquire island
Italy investigates if acrobatic plane struck birds before it crashed, killing a child on the ground
Two arrested in fentanyl-exposure death of 1-year-old at Divino Niño daycare
11 Mexican police officers convicted in murders of 17 migrants who were shot and burned near U.S. border