Brain-eating parasite found in Iowa lake, 1 dead
CBSN
Federal and state health officials on Wednesday confirmed the presence of a brain-eating amoeba in an Iowa lake after one swimmer was infected and later died. The lake will remain open as infections are rare, but officials will create signage that warns of the parasite.
The amoeba, also known as Naegleria fowleri, was found in the Lake of Three Fires, which is located in Bedford, Iowa, according to a statement from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"Naegleria fowleri is an amoeba that commonly occurs in warm freshwater such as lakes, rivers, ponds and canals," Wednesday's news release said. "In extremely rare cases, it can cause primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a brain infection that may result when water containing the amoeba rushes up the nose and reaches the brain."
