Brain-Eating Amoeba Causes Death of a Texas Boy Who Swim in Texas Splash Pad

After visiting a splash pad in Texas, a child died Monday after acquiring a rare infection commonly known as a brain-eating amoeba.

Brain-Eating Amoeba at Texas Splash Pads

The incident happened in the city of Arlington in Texas, which is located between the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth.

According to ABC News, the boy died at the hospital on September 11 after he was infected by a Naegleria fowleri amoeba.

City officials and Tarrant County Public Health were notified on September 5 regarding a child who had been hospitalized with primary amoebic meningoencephalitis. It is a rare infection with a high fatality rate caused by the Naegleria fowleri amoeba.

Moreover, after officials learned about the child's illness, city health officials started their investigation and have closed all of the city's public splash pads.

Also, city officials said after they forwarded a sample from the splash pads to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the CDC confirmed there was a presence of the amoeba in water samples from the Don Misenhimer Park splash pad on Friday.

Negligence on Water Chlorination Readings Resulted in the Boy's Death

Based on the review conducted by city officials, they have discovered that there were lapses in the water-quality testing at several parks in the area, which allowed the amoeba to kill the life of an innocent child.

Deputy City Manager Lemuel Randolph said a review identified that there were gaps in their daily inspection program. He said that those gaps resulted not only in them not meeting their maintenance standards at their splash pads but also in causing the life of a boy.

Furthermore, city officials said that the records gathered showed that two of the four splash pads at Don Misenhimer Park and the Beacon Recreation Center did not have consistent records from the Parks and Recreation employees. They added that in some cases, they did not even conduct the water quality testing, which was required to the facilities prior to its opening on a daily basis.

The city officials stated the Don Misenhimer splash pad's water chlorination readings were not documented on two of the three dates that the child was there in late August and early September.

Meanwhile, the city officials clarified that Arlington's drinking water supply was not affected. The splash pad is equipped with a backflow prevention device primarily designed to isolate its water from the city's water distribution system.

On the other hand, the CDC shared that Naegleria fowleri infections are considered rare. So far, they have just 34 cases reported in the U.S. from 2010 to 2019. CDC added that people are infected when water containing the amoeba enters the body through the nose. It usually happens when people go swimming or diving in lakes and rivers, the CDC added, NBC reported.

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Written by: Jess Smith

WATCH: Child dies of amoeba likely contracted at Texas splash pad, officials say-CBS News