Child sickened by amoeba in western Minnesota lake

The Minnesota Department of Health is investigating a case of suspected primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) in a critically ill child.

Municipal swimming beaches are located in Glenwood and Starbuck, and they remain open to the public, according to MPR News.

PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota health officials say a child has been sickened by a rare brain infection after swimming in a lake in Pope County.

Bryan Boutain, Hunter’s uncle, said on Wednesday: “As of this afternoon, Hunter is still in the hospital and remains in critical condition”. This is a hard time for our family.

A young swimmer who contracted a brain-eating amoeba in a western Minnesota lake Tuesday has been identified.

The PAM infection, which the department describes as “very rare and severe”, is caused by a microscopic amoeba called Naegleria fowleri, which is commonly found in fresh water and soil.

Naegleria fowleri propagates in warm, stagnant bodies of freshwater (typically during the summer months), and enters the central nervous system after insufflation of infected water by attaching itself to the olfactory nerve.

The latest Naegleria infection marks the first reported case in Minnesota since a nine-year-old boy died from the illness after taking a swim in Stillwater’s Lily Lake back in 2012.

MDH Waterborne Diseases Unit Supervisor Trisha Robinson said there are a few tips that may help reduce the risk of the PAM infection.

“The only sure way that we can prevent this from happening is to avoid participation in freshwater activities”, Robinson said.

Health officials determined Hunter developed the infection after swimming recently in Lake Minnewaska in Pope County.

Naegleria thrive in warm water, so infections are more common in southern states.

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