The North Carolina White Water Center, where an Ohio teen reportedly contracted the brain-eating amoeba that caused her death, has closed all its waterpark activities.
The teenager was identified as 18-year-old Lauren Seitz of Westerville, Ohio and was on a church trip to North Carolina when they made a stop at the White Water Center. The teenager died weeks after her visit at the center. Health officials have pinned the cause of her death on a rare infection caused by the brain-eating amoeba.
According to the health experts, the amoeba is found in lakes, ponds, and rivers. It becomes deadly if it travels to the brain of a person. Seitz died on June 19 and officials working on her case said that her raft was overturned during the visit at the center and the amoeba went up her nose.
Seitz was with a group of teens from their church youth group. She and the other teens were travelling to different churches and nursing homes performing music.
The White Water Center has then suspended all its activities involving white water rafting until further notice. People reported that the White Water Center discussed the matter with the Center for Disease Control and local health officials. They have decided to temporarily suspend the activities effective immediately.
The announcement added, "This decision was made after initial test results found Naegleria Fowleri DNA was present in the whitewater system. The U.S. National White Water Center (USNWC) is working with the CDC and local health officials to develop next steps."
Dr. Marcus Plescia, the head of the Mecklenburg County Health department, said that they took water samples from the center and said that the amoeba was present in all the 11 samples tested. He said that this does not come as a surprise as it is a very common microorganism.
138 cases of the brain-eating amoeba have been recorded for the last 60 years. Only three people have survived the infection. The parents of Seitz, James and Heidi, have set up The Lauren Elisabeth Seitz Memorial Music Fund in their daughter's honor.
