Louisiana Health officials report that the brain-eating amoeba called naegleria fowleri amoeba has been found in the state's water supply. (Photo : YouTube)
A teen from Houston, Texas, has died after a rare amoeba called naegleria fowleri amoeba he contracted while swimming entered his brain, according to a relative. He was an incoming high school freshman and has qualified for the Junior Olympics three times.
Michael Riley Jr., 14, encountered the rare brain-eating amoeba while swimming in a lake north of Houston. According to his family, he swam with his cross-country team on Aug. 13 and after swimming, he became disoriented as he suffered headache.
With the amoeba having entered his brain through his nasal passages, the Texas teen athlete was diagnosed with Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis.
While they were notified of a suspected ameoba infection on Aug. 22, the Harris County Public Health & Environmental Services previously could not confirm Riley was the patient due to privacy reasons.
In a statement obtained by Nola on Aug. 30, Sunday, Riley's cousin Jennifer Hohman said he was placed in a medically induced coma in Texas Children's Hospital. He remained in the hospital fighting for his until tests then proved that he had lost all brain function and could breathe only with support.
On the same day, Riley died after the hospital disconnected the ventilator, according to Hohman. Prior to his death, the teen's mother Cassandre Riley told KTRK-TV, "When a doctor comes in teary eyes, crying, you know it's not good."
According to health officials, the rare amoeba occurring naturally in fresh water infected 35 people between 2005 and 2014 in the United States. If a person is infected by the amoeba through the nose, the person can suffer irreversible damage or even death.
