This photomicrograph of a brain tissue specimen depicts the cytoarchitectural changes associated with a free-living amebic infection, which may have been caused by a Naegleria fowleri (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images).
A Nebraska child died this week from an infection caused by a brain-eating amoeba typically found in warm freshwater rivers and lakes.According to the Douglas County Health Department, the child was infected with primary amebic meningoencephalitis, a disease caused by the brain-eating ameba Naegleria Fowleri, after swimming in the Elkhorn River Sunday.The organism is typically found in warmer freshwater sources, though officials warn it’s being identified farther north "as previously cooler regions become warmer and drier."RELATED: Deadly brain-eating amoeba found in Iowa beach as temperatures riseNaegleria Fowleri enters the body through the nose, usually while swimming or diving.
You can reduce your risk by plugging your nose, keeping your head above water and avoiding freshwater sources in late summer when water temperatures are at their highest."We can only imagine the devastation this family must be feeling, and our deepest condolences are with them.
We can honor the memory of this child by becoming educated about the risk and then taking steps to prevent infection," Health Director Dr.