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Swimmer dies after contracting brain-eating amoeba in Oklahoma lake

Mary Bowerman
USA TODAY Network
Brain tissue that has been attacked by naegleria fowleri, also called "the brain-eating amoeba."  When the  amoebae infect the brain or spinal cord, they can cause meningitis.

An Oklahoma resident infected with a rare brain-eating amoeba while swimming in a lake died this week, according to Oklahoma health officials.

The unidentified person was infected with primary amebic meningoencephalitis, known as PAM, a severe brain infection caused by an amoeba called Naegleria fowleri, the Oklahoma State Department of Health said in a statement. The infection occurred during a swim in Lake Murray, located in Ardmore, Okla., near the Texas border.

Officials did not disclose when the swimmer was infected or what day the person died this week.

Naegleria fowleri infections are rare, with only seven cases occurring in Oklahoma since 1998, according to the department of health. The disease-causing organism is found in fresh bodies of water and typically thrives in the warm summer months. Infections are usually found in southern and southwestern states, though two people have died from the organism as far north as Minnesota, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.

Naegleria fowleri symptoms typically mirror bacterial meningitis, starting with fever, chills, headaches and a stiff neck, Jessica Sheehy, a physician assistant and infectious diseases specialist at Mayo Clinic Health System, told USA TODAY Network last month.

The organism enters the brain through the nasal cavity, typically from jumping or diving into water, according to Sheehy.

"You have to have water go up into your nose to get an amoeba," she said.

While the amoeba is almost always fatal, early detection is vital to treating the infection.

"Once symptoms start, patients only survive a few days," Sheehy said. "If you are our your child come down with symptoms, the most important piece is to tell your doctor if you have a history of swimming in a lake or river within the last two weeks."

Follow @MaryBowerman on Twitter.

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