McDuffie County teen dies from rare brain infection

DEARING, Ga. (WJBF) – A McDuffie County teen is being remembered after dying from a rare brain infection called Naegleria Fowleri.

The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) says the victim, Megan Ebenroth, was likely infected while swimming in a freshwater lake or pond.

DPH says Naegleria Fowleri destroys brain tissue, causing brain swelling and usually death.

The website says Naegleria Fowleri is an amoeba (single-celled living organism) that lives in soil and warm, freshwater lakes, rivers, ponds, and hot springs. Naegleria Fowleri is not found in salt water, such as the ocean, and it is not found in properly treated drinking water and swimming pools.

Naegleria Fowleri is commonly called the “brain-eating amoeba” because it can cause a brain infection, primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), when water containing the amoeba goes up the nose.

It cannot infect people if swallowed and is not spread from person to person.

The read more about the symptoms of Naegleria Fowleri, click here.

A GundFundMe account has been created by the Belle Meade Country Club to help with Megan’s funeral expenses, click here to donate.

NewsChannel 6’s Renetta DuBose will have more on this story Tuesday afternoon/evening.