Two Oklahoma Boys Die of Rare Brain Infection

Two Oklahoma boys died Friday after being infected with a rare parasite which is associated with swimming in stagnant water.

The two boys, ages 7 and 9, contracted Naegleria fowleri, an ameba that enters the body through the nose and can cause a deadly inflammation of the brain, spinal cord, and meninges, the membrane covering the brain and spinal cord. The inflammation, called amebic meningoencephalitis, is almost always fatal. Of the 200 cases that have been reported in the last 40 years, there have been only 2 survivors.

The boys are believed to have contracted the parasite from swimming in stagnant ponds. The boys presented to their doctors with symptoms of fever, headache, and hallucinations. After the deaths, three public pools in Tulsa were closed for testing, although health officials do not believe the parasite was contracted there.

Naegleria fowleri is an ameba which is found worldwide. The ameba is found most commonly in warm bodies of fresh water such as lakes, ponds, rivers, and hot springs. The ameba is also found in warm water discharge from industrial plants, under-chlorinated swimming pools, as well as the soil. Although the parasite is found commonly in the environment, infection is rare. there have been only 24 infections reported in the United States from 1989 to 2000.

Naegleria is most common during the dry summer months when the temperature is above 80 degrees Fahrenheit and when the water is warm and water levels are low. For more information on Naegleria, see the CDC Naegleria factsheet.

For more information on swimming safely, visit www.healthyswimming.org.