Picture source: Sky News
A 10-year-old girl has tragically passed away after becoming infected with a deadly brain-eating amoeba while swimming in a lake.
The incident happened in Texas in recent days.
The girl, identified as Lily Mae Avant, complained of a headache after swimming. Her health deteriorated rapidly, so she was rushed to hospital, where tests revealed the presence of naegleria fowleri, a single-cell living organism commonly found in warm freshwater bodies.
Lily Mae passed away in hospital a week later.
Naegleria fowleri, commonly referred to as ‘brain-eating amoeba’, causes quick and severe illness when infected water enters the human through the nose. The bacteria quickly destroys brain tissue. The mortality rate is 97%.