What to know about the brain-eating amoeba that killed a child swimming in a lake

A 12-year-old boy died of a brain-eating amoeba after swaming in a Southern Carolina lake during the fourth weekend in July. The amibe enters the body by the nose and causes a fatal cerebral infection. Less than 10 cases are reported each year in the United States, but almost all are fatal. More than 160 people are known to have died from amiberal in the United States over the past 60 years. The boy’s parents were not aware of the amibe when they let their son swim in Lake Murray. The amibe is common, even if the infections caused by it are rare. Other dangers in lakes include E.coli and harmful algae, which can cause serious health problems.