Arkansas health officials said Kali Hardig, 12, most likely contracted a form of parasitic meningitis after visiting a local water park. CBS News reported.
Naegleria fowleri amoeba, a parasite that lives in freshwater and soil, is the cause of the extremely rare string of meningitis that Hardig has contracted. Officials believe she became infected after spending time at Little Rock's Willow Springs Water Park, a sand-bottomed lake that likely caused infections in two other attendants as well.
The organism, although rare, is usually found in warm water making it common during the summer months, especially in the south. This marks only the sixth case of primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) in Arkansas in 40 years.
Once news of the infection broke, the water park shut down. The owners, David and Lou Ann Ratliff, said it a statement:
"We[...] have received new information regarding Naegleria fowleri, and have elected to close the park as of July 25 at the request of the Arkansas Department of Health. Though the odds of contracting Naegleria are extremely low, they are just not good enough to allow our friends or family to swim. For the thousands of people who love Willow Springs, we will be taking this time to determine the feasibility of installing a solid bottom to the lake. We will not ever reopen as a sand bottom lake. We covet your prayers and our Willow Springs family will continue to be in our thoughts and prayers."
Since 1962, there have been 128 cases of Naegleria reported in the U.S. According to the CDC, only 1 of those 128 people survived.
The parasite causes the brain to swell and almost always leads to death. Symptoms included headache, fever, nausea, and vomiting and can begin anywhere from one to seven days after the infection enters the body. Some also develop a stiff neck, confusion, lack of attention to people and surroundings, loss of balance, seizures, and hallucinations.
Health officials noted that anyone who swam at Willow Springs Water Park up to 8 days prior to Hardig's infection are not at risk.
Hardig is in critical condition at the Arkansas Children's Hospital.
