NORTH CAROLINA (WXLV) - A child is dead after contracting a type of bacteria while swimming in a pond at a home in Central North Carolina.
The NC Department of Health and Human Services say the child was infected by an amoeba that's usually present in the hot, summer months in freshwater environments.
The child started with an infection, experiencing a fever, nausea and headaches, until eventual death.
While DHHS says this a rare event, they say you should still do what you can to avoid this brain-eating organism.
The child was swimming at a private lake somewhere in the center of the state, but due to privacy concerns, health officials won't say where.
"When you are swimming in a lake or stream or any kind of fresh body of water, it's a lot more dangerous, a lot more hazardous than a swimming pool," said Josh Tucker, park supervisor for High Point City Lake Park.
Tucker says always be aware of what type of water you are jumping into, especially when it comes to lakes and ponds.
"That still water, very stagnant and warm, that's where that brain-eating amoeba comes from," Tucker said.
According to DHHS, only 0 to 1 people become infected by amoebas per year in North Carolina.
DHHS says the amoeba does not cause illness if swallowed but can be fatal if forced up a nose during diving, water skiing or simply jumping in the water.
"It can force this amoeba up through the person's brain, essentially up through the nasal bones," said Carl Williams, a state public health veteran.
We're told the free-flowing amoeba doesn't discriminate, it can infect anybody and it can't be treated with chemicals, like most pools.
"It can grow and grow its best when it's warmer out, so when you have ambient air temperatures in the 90s repeatedly like we do here, you get these environments where the water heats and the organism can grow to higher quantities, so you're more likely to encounter it," Williams said.,
"Have a nose clip or hold your nose if you go underwater," Tucker said. "Having a PFD or life jacket on will keep your head and chest above the water."
The chances of getting struck by lightning are much greater than being infected by amoebas, but health officials still want you and your family to be aware of where you are swimming.
Just two days ago, DHHS says a boy in California died from an amoeba after swimming in a lake.
Most amoebas, however, can be found in the southeast.