HORRIFIC

Nevada Boy Dies From Brain-Eating Amoeba After Trip to Lake Mead

Health officials said the infection is extremely rare.

A Nevada boy died Wednesday after he developed an “extremely rare” infection caused by a brain-eating amoeba known as Naegleria fowleri, according to state health officials, who believe he may have been exposed to the microorganism on the Arizona-side of Lake Mead. The boy reportedly began showing symptoms, which can begin with a headache and fever and end in a coma, a week after he visited the dwindling lake in early October. “My condolences go out to the family of this young man,” said Clark County’s district health officer, Dr. Fermin Leguen, in a statement. “While I want to reassure the public that this type of infection is an extremely rare occurrence, I know this brings no comfort to his family and friends at this time.” Naegleria fowleri, which enters the body through the nose, can be found in warm, fresh water and the soil and sediment around it, such as in hot springs and unmaintained swimming pools.