STILLWATER, Minn. – Here in Central Florida, we're very familiar with the dangers of amoebas.
The parasites are found in freshwater, generally in the southern parts of the country, when it gets really hot.
Recommended Videos
But now, Local 6 is learning that 9-year-old Jack Erenberg, a boy all the way in Minnesota just died after an amoeba infected his brain, just days after he went swimming.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this is only the second case of amoebic infection in Minnesota ever. And both of them happened at the same lake.
The parasites are most active when the temperature in freshwater gets above 80 degrees.
In the last 50 years, there have been 123 cases of amoebic infection in the U.S., and just one survivor.
Doctors say you should wear nose clips if you go in the water because amoebas can only get in through your nose.
Symptoms include nausea, confusion, dizziness, blurry vision, and headaches.
Doctors say headaches are usually the first sign of an infection. So if you get a headache and you know you've been in freshwater recently, go to the hospital right away.