Missouri reports rare Naegleria fowleri brain-eating amoeba infection possibly linked to water skiing

A Missouri resident has been hospitalized with a confirmed Naegleria fowleri brain-eating amoeba infection, possibly contracted after water skiing in the Lake of the Ozarks, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said Wednesday, August 13.

The patient, whose identity has not been released, is receiving treatment in an intensive care unit. Health officials said the illness developed days after the patient visited the lake. The source of exposure is still under investigation.

Also read: Deadly brain-eating amoeba kills Texas woman: how to be safe?


The Lake of the Ozarks State Park has two public beaches, according to its website, though officials did not specify which location the patient visited. Naegleria fowleri is a microscopic amoeba found in warm freshwater. The infection it causes, primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), is rare but severe. The organism can enter the brain when water is forced up the nose during activities such as swimming, diving, or water skiing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

From 1962 to 2024, there have been 167 reported PAM cases in the United States, the Missouri health department said.

Last month, 12-year-old Jaysen Carr of South Carolina died after contracting the amoeba. It was the state’s first known case since 2016, according to the South Carolina Department of Public Health. His family has spoken publicly, urging awareness to prevent similar cases.

The CDC advises precautions to reduce risk, including wearing a nose clip or holding the nose shut when jumping or diving into freshwater and keeping the head above water in hot springs. Early symptoms of infection can include nausea, vomiting, fever, severe headache, stiff neck, seizures, altered mental status, and hallucinations.

The CDC notes that Naegleria fowleri infections cannot be contracted from swallowing contaminated water or through person-to-person transmission.