ICYMI: Brain-Eating Amoeba, Florida Teen Defies the Odds

BROWARD COUNTY, FL — The 16-year-old Broward County boy who contracted Naegleria fowleri, also known as the brain-eating amoeba, earlier this month has defied the odds. Sebastian DeLeon is the fourth person in the United States to have survived a run-in with the deadly amoeba in the past 50 years.

DeLeon is believed to have contracted the amoeba by swimming in unsanitary water on private property in Broward County, according to the Florida Department of Health. That agency kicked off an investigation into the infection after learning of the boy's condition in early August.

DeLeon was vacationing in the Orlando area when his family noticed something wrong. His parents brought him to Florida Hospital for Children in Orlando after he developed an intense headache on Aug. 7, the hospital reported on its website.

See also: Florida Confirms Brain-Eating Amoeba Case

The hospital reportedly gave the teen specialized medication in an attempt to kill the amoeba and also placed him into chemically induced coma.

DeLeon’s recovery was announced by the hospital Tuesday.

“It’s been miraculous to see Sebastian recover right before my eyes from such a fatal and unforgiving infection,” said Dr. Humberto Liriano in a statement. “This was a once-in-a-lifetime case for any doctor, and I’ll take these lessons with me throughout the rest of my medical career.”

Naegleria fowleri is contracted when water containing the single-cell organism enters a person’s nose. “This typically occurs when people go swimming or diving in warm freshwater places, like lakes and rivers,” the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains on its website. “The Naegleri fowleri ameba then travels up the nose to the brain where it destroys the brain tissue.”

People cannot become infected by drinking contaminated water, the CDC said. The amoeba must enter the nose.

Naegleria fowleri infections are considered very rare in the United States. Between 2006 and 2015, the CDC only recorded 37 cases. Out of that number, 33 people were infected by contaminated recreational water, three by performing nasal irrigation using contaminated tap water and one by using a backyard slip-n-slide that was primed with contaminated tap water, the CDC reported.

People who contract Naegleria fowleri may suffer a number of symptoms, which generally start about five days after infection. The initial symptoms include headache, fever, vomiting and nausea. As the condition progresses, seizures, hallucinations and confusion also typically appear.

“After the start of the symptoms, the disease progresses rapidly and usually causes death within about 5 days,” the CDC said.

In mid-July, a Texas teenager died after contracting the condition, and Hannah Collins, 11, of South Carolina died Aug. 5 due to the infection. The little girl contracted the amoeba while swimming in a river in July, CBS reported.

DeLeon is one of only four people in America who have survived the condition in the past 50 years, Florida Hospital for Children reported. In that time period, 138 cases have been reported in America, the hospital said.

Dr. Rajan Wadhawan, the hospital’s chief medical officer, said his facility has been making a concerted effort to better understand the amoeba and how to treat it. Staff have been trained on the signs and symptoms of Naegleria infections despite their rare nature, he said.

“We believe this concerted effort to educate our medical teams led to the quick thinking and action that saved Sebastian’s life,” Wadhawan said in a statement.

DeLeon is expected to be released to go home with his family soon, the hospital noted.

Delon’s mother, Brunilda Gonzalez is grateful.

“Thank you to everyone on the staff,” she said. “And thank you to God, who guided them. I truly believe this was a miracle.”

For more information about Naegleria fowleri, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention online.

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