A suspected case of a brain-eating amoeba is under investigation in Mohave County.
County public health officials and the Arizona Department of Health Services sent specimens to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Tuesday for testing. Officials say they’re still investigating any possible exposures and exposure locations.
The free-living amoeba — Naegleria Fowleri — is commonly found in fresh water and soil. It is so small it can only be seen with a microscope.
The disease typically infects people when water containing the amoeba enters the body through the nose.
Infections are relatively uncommon in the U.S. with no more than five cases diagnosed from 2013 to 2022. However, they are usually fatal.
One confirmed case was found in Lake Havasu in 2007. A Nevada teen died last year after he was exposed to the rare disease in the Kingman Wash on the Arizona side of Lake Mead.