A young boy has passed away after he contracted a rare brain-eating waterborne parasite.
7-year-old David Pruitt died from primary amoebic meningoencephalitis after swimming in a lake in California with his family.
“We are sad and broken-hearted to report that our sweet little David has passed on,” his devastated family wrote on GoFundMe.
“He is now in the loving arms of our Lord and family members who have passed before him. We are rejoicing in knowing he is no longer in pain and in the best of care,” David’s family continued.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the deadly amoeba called ‘naegleria fowleri’ is typically contracted when contaminated water enters the body through the nose.
It is often found in warm freshwaters such as lakes or rivers but there are also cases when it was found in poorly-treated swimming pools.
“Once the amoeba enters the nose, it travels to the brain where it causes PAM, which is usually fatal,” the CDC said.
Individuals who contract the deadly amoeba initially suffer from severe nausea, vomiting, and headaches. Some have reported hallucinations, stiff neck and seizures as their condition worsens.
David’s heartbroken aunt Crystal Hayley told CBS News that the family “wants people to be aware of this amoeba and the illness signs.”
This comes only one year after a 6-year-old boy from Texas died after contracting the same parasite at either a hose at his family’s home or the Lake Jackson splashpad.
The CDC tested three samples of contaminated water from the Lake Jackson splash pad after Josiah McIntyre’s death and all three tested positive for the parasite.
His mother told CNN at that time: “He was an active little boy. He was a really good big brother. He just loved and cared about a lot of people.”
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