Boy, 7, dies of brain-eating amoeba in California, family say

RED BLUFF, Calif .– A child infected with a extremely rare brain-eating amoeba while swimming in a northern California lake died in a hospital, his family confirmed on Friday.

David Pruitt, 7, from Tehama County, has died primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, or PAM, on Aug. 7, said her aunt, Crystal Hayley.

The boy was rushed to the emergency room on July 30 and then airlifted to UC Davis Medical Center where he was on life support with severe brain swelling, Hayley said at a fundraising site she set up for the family to raise funds for their care and funeral.

The infection is extremely rare, and there have only been 10 reported cases in California since 1971, the Tehama County Health Services Agency said in an Aug.4 press release. He said the boy was likely infected in a lake in Tehama County, but did not identify the boy or state where he was infected.

Tehama County public health officials did not return Associated Press phone messages seeking comment.

Her parents declined an Associated Press interview request. But Hayley said “they want people to be aware of this amoeba and the signs of disease.”

The parasite, called Naegleria fowleri, typically infects people when contaminated water enters their body through the nose, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Infection normally occurs when people go swimming or snorkeling in warm freshwater places, such as lakes and rivers. In rare cases, people can become infected if hot water from a swimming pool that has not been properly treated with chlorine gets into the nose, the CDC said on its infection page.

“Once the amoeba enters the nose, it travels to the brain where it causes PAM, which is usually fatal,” he said.

At the first stage of infection, patients report having severe headaches, fever, nausea, and vomiting. As the infection worsens, they may develop a stiff neck and have seizures or hallucinations, according to the CDC.