Teen dies from brain-eating amoeba; mother says doctors ‘fought aggressively’ to save her

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/Gray News) – A 17-year-old Georgia girl has died after contracting a rare infection.

Megan Ebenroth died on July 22. Her mother said doctors aggressively fought to save her daughter’s life.

“I do want it to be known that doctors tried to do a spinal tap to diagnose her, and that the Children’s Hospital fought aggressively for her,” said the girl’s mother, Christina Ebenroth.

The 17-year-old reportedly picked up the infection after swimming in a freshwater lake, a common source for Naegleria fowleri, a rare brain infection commonly known as brain-eating amoeba.

The amoeba is a microscopic parasite found in warm, fresh bodies of water like hot springs or lakes. It can enter through the nose, get into the sinuses, and travel up nerves to the brain.

The infection is rare but nearly always fatal.

Prior to this confirmed case, there have been five other cases reported in Georgia since 1962.

Loved ones described Megan Ebenroth as adventurous and a straight-A student. She was also vice president of the Spanish club and played tennis.

Next year, she hoped to go to the University of Georgia.

Her family said she was deeply loved everywhere she went.

According to doctors, the infection is usually only diagnosed in it’s later stages when symptoms progress to a more severe illness. At that point, it’s usually too late to treat effectively.

Dr. Wassim Ballan, an infectious disease specialist at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, said there are concerns about cases rising, as well as several other infectious diseases.

“We are probably going to see a change in trends because of the climate changing and the temperatures rising,” Ballan said. “So, there is a lot of concern in the infectious disease community about a lot of different infections, including amoebic infections becoming more common as the climate is warming.”

He also said parents who notice their child feeling unwell after a day of swimming should get them checked out right away. Early symptoms usually start five days after infection. They include sudden fever, headache and a stiff neck.

Because the amoeba can be deadly by entering through the nose, doctors recommend people to not jump or dive into the water and instead hold their nose or wear nose clips. Or better yet, keep their head above water.

More information on Naegleria fowleri is available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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