Boy, 9, Dies of Rare Amoeba Infection After Swimming in a Lake.

During a site search I came across other posts for children being fatally struck down by parasites in the lakes. Today, another story is out about a young boy who did from an amoeba in lake lily in Stillwater MN.

shine.yahoo.com...

Last week, 9-year-old Jack Ariola Erenberg was swimming in the warm waters of Lily Lake near his home in Stillwater, Minnesota. Days later he was dead, his brain ravaged by primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, an infection caused by a microscopic amoeba.

This hits very close to home for me. Personally, I have taken my family to this lake many times in the past, and my 5 year old daughter has loved it. I am very sad to learn about this childs death, buy I also am very thankful that it has not happened to my child.

Towards the end of the story, another child died from the same parasite at the same lake. It sounds like they are finally going to shut the lake down so no other children are in danger.

That's freaky. So the amoeba swims in through the ear and infects the brain?

reply to post by OrphenFire


Im actually researching it right now, im studying biology and health science at the University of Minnesota, and I am using some of the school databases to look into exactly how this thing infects.

reply to post by lcbjr1979


This happens a few times a year or at least its reported a few times a year. Its a tragedy for sure but it usually happens when people swim in stagnant areas of lakes, ponds or rivers.

reply to post by OrphenFire


It gets in through the nose, and attaches to the olifactory nerve. From there it gets into the brain.

www.sciencedirect.com...

reply to post by Juggernog


Yeah, and I have heard of stories like this in the past. This one just hit me hard because my daughter has been there. It scared the hell out of me.

Originally posted by lcbjr1979
reply to post by Juggernog

 

Yeah, and I have heard of stories like this in the past. This one just hit me hard because my daughter has been there. It scared the hell out of me.

Fortunately shes ok, just mindful in the future, especially during such hot weather and lack of rain.

reply to post by Juggernog


Yup, exactly.

during the summer, stay out of water over 80 degrees and the foam is the worst.

We hear of it down here too..lots of lakes and springs down here. Pretty weird but it's not that rare IMO. We don't swim in fresh water lakes..too much pollution and personally I think they are gross..the water is dark and always kind of muddy looking. Crab Orchard lake (about 6 miles from me) is polluted from the general dynamics plant that sits next to it.

reply to post by lcbjr1979


Yikes. And what exactly does it do to the brain?

Last year we had in the paper to boil the water if you use a neti pot due to the parasites and etc you can introduce into your brain... a woman died from it with a brain eating bacteria. I do believe there have been several new stories bout the neti pot water and flushing the sinuses... and swimming in lakes/streams. Many sewers and drain fields and etc allow waste to enter our water and we go swim in it. Ick. At the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri the houseboat idiots were dumping their waste into the lake and people were getting severe infections in their eyes and ears due to the fecal matter present. This was a pretty big story.. and has been on and off for some time.

I have a slight germ issue.. and this just freaks me out. I am used to being in the ocean and now I live in the midwest with the doo-doo water. Guess its about as bad as the oil and toxic clean up chem water. We have a serious serious issue with water, regardless.

How big is it? Do you feel them crawling around i nthere?