A 12-year-old boy has died after contracting a rare brain-eating amoeba, Naegleria fowleri, following a visit to a hot spring in South Carolina. The child was treated at Prisma Health Children's Hospital but succumbed to the infection, according to Dr. Anna Kathryn Burch, a paediatric infectious disease physician.
The hospital has not released further details about the patient or the exact location of the infection. State health authorities have confirmed the case and stated there is no broader risk to the public. The infection was confirmed during the week of July 7 by the South Carolina Department of Public Health.
Naegleria fowleri is a microscopic amoeba that lives in warm freshwater, such as lakes, rivers, and hot springs. It enters the body through the nose, typically during swimming or diving, and travels to the brain, causing a severe infection called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). The infection is almost always fatal, with only four survivors out of 167 reported cases in the US between 1962 and 2024.
This is the second death linked to Naegleria fowleri in the US this year. In May, a 71-year-old woman in Texas died after using tap water in a nasal irrigation device. Health experts advise avoiding freshwater activities during high temperatures, using nose clips, and refraining from submerging the head in warm freshwater to reduce risk.
