A child has died after seemingly contracting a brain-eating amoeba while swimming in a Nebraska river, according to health officials.
Tests are still being done to confirm the cause of death, the state Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement Wednesday, but this would mark the first such fatality in Nebraska history.
The child, who has not been publicly identified, likely contracted the Naegleria fowleri while swimming in the Elkhorn River on Sunday, according to the Douglas County Health Department.
Naegleria fowleri is commonly found in warm freshwater, like lakes and rivers, hot springs, poorly maintained swimming pools and water heaters, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Symptoms in the first few days include headache, fever, nausea and vomiting, then progress to stiff neck, confusion, lack of attention to people and surroundings, loss of balance, seizures and hallucinations.
Most people die within five days.
Between 2012 and 2021, only 31 Naegleria fowleri infections were recorded in the U.S.
In June, a Missouri resident died from the same infection after swimming at Lake of Three Fires State Park in southwest Iowa.
Swimmers in untested waters are urged to keep their heads above water and use nose clips or plug their nose if going underwater. They should also avoid digging or stirring up the sediment at the bottom of the lake or river.