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A man died after being infected with a cerebral amoeba while swimming in a water park in the United States.
The man was in an artificial lake at Fantasy Lake water park in North Carolina when he was infected with Naegleria foweri, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
The unicellular organism occurs naturally in hot fresh waters in the summer and can be fatal if it is forced through the nose but does not cause disease if ingested. Symptoms of the illness begin with severe headaches, fever, nausea, and vomiting, before escalating into stiff neck, seizures, and coma, the health agency said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the infection works by destroying brain tissue, causing brain swelling, and then death.
The man became ill after swimming in the lake on July 12th.
"Our sympathies go to family and loved ones," said state epidemiologist Zack Moore. "People need to know that this organism is present in the lakes, rivers and hot springs of North Carolina, so be sure to swim or practice water sports."
Authorities said the infection was rare, with only 145 known cases occurring in the United States between 1962 and 2018, including five in North Carolina.
According to the New Zealand Department of Health, the infection, also known as amoebic primitive meningoencephalitis, would have caused eight deaths between 1968 and 1978, as well as a new death in 2000.
Newshub.
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