FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.—A person has been hospitalized after health officials say they contracted a brain-eating amoeba while swimming in Broward County, Florida.
The Florida Department of Health confirmed the infection Tuesday. Officials say the person’s infection stems from Naegleria fowleri, a microscopic, single-cell amoeba commonly found in freshwater lakes, ponds and rivers.
The health department hasn’t specified where the person came in contact with the amoeba, but did say the person swam in unsanitary water on private property in Broward County.
The gender and age of the person have not been released.
“[Florida health officials have] confirmed a local case of Naegleria fowleri in an individual from Broward County,” Mara Gambineri, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Health, told the Orlando Sentinel. “At this time, we believe that the individual contracted the infection after swimming in unsanitary water on a single private property.”
“The individual is currently in the hospital receiving treatment,” Gambineri added on Thursday. “Health officials continue to investigate the location and are in the process of notifying persons with risk of exposure.”
The amoeba is usually found in warm freshwater, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The organism usually enters body via the nasal passage, and it can cause a rare, deadly brain infection.
The CDC has listed symptoms, saying they can be mild at first but worsen quickly:
- Usually start about 5 days after infection (but can range from 1–9 days)
- Can include headache, fever, nausea, or vomiting
- Later symptoms can include stiff neck, confusion, lack of attention to people and surroundings, loss of balance, seizures, and hallucinations
- After symptoms start, the disease causes death within about 5 days (but can range from 1–12 days)
Epoch Times contributed to this report.
