(Bedford, Iowa) – Health officials in Missouri report a person infected by a suspected brain-eating amoeba found in a Taylor County (Iowa) Lake, has died. Officials believe a resident from Missouri likely picked up the deadly parasite while swimming at the Lake of Three Fires State Park. The death marks the first reported case of Iowa’s rare and deadly infection.

The beach at the Lake of Three Fires was closed as a precaution on July 7th, and remains closed as the state of Iowa awaits official test results to confirm the presence of the amoeba. The patient, who Missouri health officials declined to identify, was being treated for the infection in an intensive care unit before dying. The official said because cases like this are so rare, additional information about the patient would not be released.

According to health officials, the ameba in question is commonly found in warm freshwater such as lakes, rivers, and ponds.  Since 1962, only 154 known cases have been identified in the United States.

People can take actions to reduce the risk of infection by limiting the amount of water going up the nose. These actions could include:

• Hold your nose shut, use nose clips, or keep your head above water when taking part in water-related activities in bodies of warm freshwater.
• Avoid putting your head under the water in hot springs and other untreated thermal waters.
• Avoid water-related activities in warm freshwater during periods of high-water temperature.
• Avoid digging in, or stirring up, the sediment while taking part in water-related activities in shallow, warm freshwater areas.
  (These recommendations are best practices but not based on scientific testing since the low numbers of infections make it difficult to show effectiveness.)

Those who experience the following symptoms after swimming in any warm body of water should contact their health care provider immediately as the disease progresses rapidly:

• Severe headache
• Fever
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Stiff neck
• Seizures
• Altered mental status
• Hallucinations.