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A brain-eating amoeba killed a man from North Carolina who was swimming in a water park.
The victim, Eddy Gray, became ill and died after swimming at Fantasy Lake Water Park on July 12, according to
WTVD, a subsidiary of CNN.
His family asked for "confidentiality and respect during this difficult time," his wife's lawyer, Justin Plummer, told the radio.
Naegleria fowleri, called
the amoeba who eats the brain,
caused the death of Gray, said in a press release the Department of Health and Social Services of North Carolina.
The unicellular organism is present when fresh water has higher temperatures and lower levels, usually during long periods of heat, the department said. It can cause severe headaches, fever, nausea, and vomiting, which can lead to neck stiffness, convulsions, and coma.
However, it is not contagious when water is swallowed. Fatality can come when it is forced on the nose of summer activities such as diving and water skiing.
From the nose, says the CDC, the body goes to the brain where it destroys the tissues.
"Our sympathies go out to family and loved ones," said state epidemiologist Zack Moore, MD. "People need to know that this organism is present in the lakes, rivers and hot springs of North Carolina, so be careful when you swim or enjoy water sports."
The park works with local health authorities to inform and inform residents of the presence of the amoeba.
In areas where infection is more common, managers recommend keeping the nose closed or using a nose clip, while avoiding digging up sediment in shallow areas.
Although severe and scary, amoeba infections are rare, according to the department. Only 145 infections were identified in the United States from 1962 to 2018.
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