Brain-Eating Amoeba Strikes Again: Teenage Girl in US Dies After Going for a Swim in Naegleria Fowleri-Infected Waters
Her kin characterised her as a straight-A student who loved tennis and Spanish. They said that after she finished her graduation the following year, she planned to enrol at the University of Georgia.
Mumbai, August 2: This year has seen a number of deaths caused by a deadly brain-eating amoeba, the most recent being a "remarkable" young girl who passed away after getting infected with the parasite while swimming with her friends.
On July 11, Megan Ebenroth, a 17-years-old teenager, went swimming in a lake close to her house in McDuffie County, Georgia, which is close to Augusta. She is thought to have contracted the uncommon and fatal brain illness Naegleria fowleri from there. Brain-Eating Amoeba Kills Kerala Boy: 15-Year-Old Dies of Rare Brain Infection PAM in Alappuzha.
Her kin characterised her as a straight-A student who loved tennis and Spanish. They said that after she finished her graduation the following year, she planned to enrol at the University of Georgia. On Monday, July 31, Christina Ebenroth, her mother, remarked, "I'm still in shock. I can't help but talk about her. She was outstanding."
Speaking to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC), Christina said that Megan had a migraine treated at the urgent care centre after experiencing a severe headache four days after swimming. She then drove Megan to a neighbouring emergency facility when her head pain persisted.
In addition to receiving IV fluids, Megan underwent many blood tests. To deal with her brain swelling, physicians once made a hole in her skull. Christina told the AJC that nobody mentioned the potential that she could have contracted the brain-eating amoeba until Friday, July 21, 10 days after she went swimming with pals. The next day, Megan passed away. Brain-Eating Amoeba Naegleria Fowleri-Linked Death Reported in US; Florida Resident Dies of Rear Infection After Using Tap Water To Clean Sinuses.
Meanwhile, the Georgia Department of Public Health refused to provide information about the lake wherein Megan caught the parasite. They underlined that the "most important message" is that the amoeba may be found "in any freshwater lake, river, or pond in Georgia."
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 02, 2023 09:15 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).