Health officials investigating suspected case of brain-eating amoeba

Public health officials in Mohave County and the Arizona Department of Health Services are working together to confirm a suspected case of Naegleria Fowleri.

According to AZDHS, specimens were sent on Tuesday to the CDC for testing.

The suspected case has not been confirmed in Arizona but officials are investigating possible expires and locations.

According to the CDC, Naegleria fowleri infections are rare; between zero and five cases were diagnosed annually from 2013 to 2022 in the United States. A total of 29 infections have been reported.

A case of Naegleria fowleri was confirmed in Mohave County, where the case was exposed in Lake Havasu in 2007. A Nevada resident was also confirmed as a Naegleria fowleri case following exposure in the Kingman Wash area, on the Arizona side of Lake Mead in 2022.