The Douglas County Health Department suspects a rare, brain-eating amoeba led to a child’s death.Nebraska Health and Human Services says if confirmed by test results, the death would be the first of its kind in the state. Health officials believe the child became infected while swimming in the Elkhorn River on Sunday. No details yet on the exact part of the river.The warning alone is enough for some people, who say they’re not getting back in the water. UNMC infectious disease expert Dr. Mark Rupp says he understands why some people are scared, even though there are only a handful of known cases in the U.S. every year.”We have millions and millions of people who are enjoying recreation on freshwater lakes and streams and rivers. Many of those if you go and you sample them, you will find this amoeba present,” Rupp said.The Hester family wrapped up a trip to the Elkhorn River Wednesday.”Just float. Sometimes kayak, sometimes tubing,” said Chithauta Hester. They’re taking the warning from health officials seriously, because this will be their last visit for a while.”I’m a little disappointed, we were hoping to come back here again next week but I guess that’s not going to be in the plans this time,” Hester said.While rare, Rupp says the amoeba is nearly always fatal. “We think when people dive or jump into that kind of water, they get inoculation of water up the nose and then it gains access to the central nervous system and then the brain,” Rupp said.Rupp and Douglas County Health say you should take precautions when you’re around rivers, lakes or streams.That means keeping your head above water or plugging your nose.You should also avoid digging or stirring up the sediment at the bottom of the lake or river. “It’s not really deep enough to do a lot of drifting, you have to do a lot of walking. So that probably makes it a lot worse,” Hester said.
The Douglas County Health Department suspects a rare, brain-eating amoeba led to a child’s death.
Nebraska Health and Human Services says if confirmed by test results, the death would be the first of its kind in the state.
Health officials believe the child became infected while swimming in the Elkhorn River on Sunday. No details yet on the exact part of the river.
The warning alone is enough for some people, who say they’re not getting back in the water.
UNMC infectious disease expert Dr. Mark Rupp says he understands why some people are scared, even though there are only a handful of known cases in the U.S. every year.
“We have millions and millions of people who are enjoying recreation on freshwater lakes and streams and rivers. Many of those if you go and you sample them, you will find this amoeba present,” Rupp said.
The Hester family wrapped up a trip to the Elkhorn River Wednesday.
“Just float. Sometimes kayak, sometimes tubing,” said Chithauta Hester.
They’re taking the warning from health officials seriously, because this will be their last visit for a while.
“I’m a little disappointed, we were hoping to come back here again next week but I guess that’s not going to be in the plans this time,” Hester said.
While rare, Rupp says the amoeba is nearly always fatal.
“We think when people dive or jump into that kind of water, they get inoculation of water up the nose and then it gains access to the central nervous system and then the brain,” Rupp said.
Rupp and Douglas County Health say you should take precautions when you’re around rivers, lakes or streams.
That means keeping your head above water or plugging your nose.
You should also avoid digging or stirring up the sediment at the bottom of the lake or river.
“It’s not really deep enough to do a lot of drifting, you have to do a lot of walking. So that probably makes it a lot worse,” Hester said.
