Devastated Parents Warn Swimmers About Brain-Eating Virus When Daughter Dies A Day After Swimming In Lake

Jun 20, 2018

Most parents have fears of their child drowning while swimming or coming across bloodthirsty sharks, but not many parents have brain eating amoebas on their list of fears about their child swimming.

Unfortunately, this is the reality of two Oklahoma parents who are spreading awareness after their daughter died.

Three years ago in 2015, their 24 year old Elizabeth Knight decided to go for a swim at local Lake Murray to cool off and have a fun day at the lake. Little did she know that this would be a fatal mistake.

The next day, Elizabeth was complaining of having a terrible migraine and splitting headache, which was so bad that she went to the emergency room. The doctors figured it was a run of the mill migraine, treated her, and sent her home. Her condition worsened and she was soon vomiting, had a high fever, and could barely walk or talk. Her family rushed her back to the hospital, but by that time it was too late. The doctors then correctly diagnosed her as having a fatal, brain eating amoeba. By that time, she had no brain activity at all and she passed away.

These brain eating amoebas have a 98 to 99 percent fatality rate once contracted, but there is a treatment for it if they're detected early. Unfortunately, her doctors assumed she just had a migraine and were not able to catch her symptoms. The amoeba that infected Elizabeth was called naegleria fowleri.

Deadly naegleria fowleri is usually found in fresh water in warmer climates, like the conditions at Lake Murray that day.

The McKowns are now trying to spread the word about this terrifying amoeba and the signs of its infection. Despite working in the medical field, they had not heard of naegleria fowleri until it had infected their daughter. The McKowns are now working to raise awareness among medical professionals of these symptoms. Experts suggest the best way to avoid contracting naegleria fowleri is to swim with nose clips.

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Send this article along to spread awareness of this scary brain-eating amoeba that may be present in your local lakes.