A Nevada boy has died from a rare and often lethal brain infection that officials say he may have contracted while swimming in the eastern part of Lake Mead earlier this month.
at the reservoir — which sits along the border of Nevada and Arizona and has become increasingly empty because of drought and climate change — could increase the risk of exposure to Naegleria fowleri for visitors is unclear. CBS News contacted the National Park Service for additional comments but did not receive an immediate response.
According to the Las Vegas Valley Water District, the water level of Lake Mead has dropped approximately 170 feet since January 2000.Although details about the Nevada boy's death have not been made public, the Southern Nevada Health District noted Wednesday that exposure to Naegleria fowleri causes a disease called primary amebic meningoencephalitis, a meningitis-like infection that targets the brain and is almost always fatal.
"My condolences go out to the family of this young man," said Dr. Fermin Leguen, the district health officer for Southern Nevada, in a statement."While I want to reassure the public that this type of infection is an extremely rare occurrence, I know this brings no comfort to his family and friends at this time."
The CDC recorded 154 confirmed cases of infection by Naegleria fowleri in the U.S. between 1962 and 2021, and at least 31 of them were recorded over the last 10 years. Nearly all of those cases were fatal, according to the health agency, with just four known survivors of the disease. In the past decade, 28 infections happened after exposure to recreational water, while three were linked to contaminated tap water.
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