- (CNN) -- An unidentified 12-year-old died Friday after
being infected with an amoeba while swimming in a Florida lake.
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- The boy had meningeal encephalitis -- a combination of
meningitis and encephalitis, which causes the brain to swell, according
to Dr. Jaime Carrizosa, an infectious disease specialist from Florida Hospital
in Orlando. Carrizosa had treated the boy.
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- Dr. Steven Wiersma of the Florida Department of Health
in Tallahassee, says the condition is very rare and has a high mortality
rate.
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- Cases of illness from amoebas are rare. There have been
20 to 30 cases in the United States, with the majority of cases reported
in Florida. The environmental conditions in Florida lakes -- especially
in the hot summer months -- are ideal for amoebas to thrive and proliferate,
Carrizosa said.
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- Amoebas enter the body through the nose. From there,
they can travel directly to the brain and into the spinal fluid. That causes
brain swelling and the increased pressure is often fatal.
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- Although patients are given antifungal drugs, "there
is no effective treatment," Carrizosa added. "Amoebas have all
the possibilities of producing some toxins so there has to be some of that
occurring. It's so difficult to study particularly in a critically ill
patient."
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- Although cases are rare, Florida doctors are aware of
the danger. "When we have cases of meningitis and there is any history
of having been swimming in a lake, diving and going underwater, we immediately
look for amoebas in the spinal fluid," Carrizosa said.
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- The Volusia County Health Department warns against "swimming
in lakes, retention ponds or swimming holes, particularly during the hot
summer months."
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- Carrizosa recommends wearing a nose clip and keeping
your head above water when swimming in these areas.
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