Minnesota boy who got brain infection after swimming dies

Mary Bowerman | USA TODAY Network

A 14-year-old Minnesota teen infected with a rare brain infection while swimming in a lake died Thursday, his family said in a statement.

Hunter Boutain's condition deteriorated "throughout the night and he was declared brain dead this morning," his uncle and family spokesman, Brian Boutain, said in a statement issued through the University of Minnesota Medical Center.

David Martinson, a spokesman for the medical center, confirmed Hunter's death to USA TODAY Network.

Health officials are working to confirm if Naegleria fowleri, a microscopic organism typically found in warm waters of southern or southwestern states, caused Hunter's death, according to Doug Schultz, a spokesman for the Minnesota Department of Health.

Schultz confirmed that if the brain-eating organism caused Hunter's death, it would be the third verified death from the amoeba in Minnesota. He said prior to the first incident in 2010, the amoeba were not found so far north.

Naegleria fowleri infections are extremely rare, with only 31 cases of people becoming infected by contaminated recreational water over the last decade, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The organism enters the brain through the nasal cavity, typically from jumping or diving into water, according to Jessica Sheehy, a physician assistant and infectious diseases specialist at Mayo Clinic Health System.

"You have to have water go up into your nose to get an amoeba, drinking [contaminated] water does not cause an amoeba," she said.

She says symptoms typically mirror bacterial meningitis, starting with fever, chills, headaches and a stiff neck. While the amoeba is almost always fatal, early detection is vital to treating the infection.

"Once symptoms start patients only survive a few days," Sheehy said. "If you are our your child come down with symptoms, the most important piece is to tell your doctor if you have a history of swimming in a lake or river within the last two weeks."

Hunter was swimming in Lake Minnewaska in western Minnesota on Tuesday when he was potentially infected. Just 48 hours later, he was dead. According to Schultz, the other two infections in Minnesota happened in a smaller more shallow lake.

Schultz said they do not have a timeline on when they will confirm whether the amoeba caused Hunter's death. He encouraged people swimming in bodies of freshwater to use caution.

"Don't stir up the bottom of the lake when you are swimming. Try to keep water from going up your nose. Wear nose plugs," he said.

Contributing: Associated Press