An Arkansas toddler died of Naegleria fowleri, commonly known as the “brain eating amoeba,” likely contracted while playing in a splash pad at a Little Rock country club.
Michael Alexander Pollock III, 16 months old, died on September 4 after spending a few days in the hospital.
TheArkansas Department of Health (ADH), through an investigation involving testing and inspection, concluded that the individual was likely exposed at the Country Club of Little Rock splash pad.
According to a statement from the ADH, the organization sent multiple water samples from the pool and splash pad to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC confirmed that one of these samples contained viable Naegleria fowleri. The remaining samples were still pending. The department has been in contact with the Country Club of Little Rock, and they have been cooperative in inquiries with the ADH.
The statement goes on to say that there is no ongoing risk to the public related to this exposure. The Country Club of Little Rock voluntarily closed the pool and splash pad, and they both remain closed. Naegleria fowleri cannot infect people if swallowed and is not spread from person to person.
According to the CDC, Naegleria fowleri is an amoeba that lives in soil and warm freshwater lakes, rivers,
Naegleria Fowleri Photo credit: www.iccsafe.org ponds, and hot springs.
Naegleria fowleri infects people when water containing the amoeba enters the body through the nose. This generally occurs when people go swimming, diving, or when they put their heads under fresh water, like in lakes and rivers. The amoeba then travels up the nose to the brain, where it destroys the brain tissue and causes a devastating infection called primary amebic meningoencephalitis. Infection is almost always fatal.
The CDC considers Naegleria fowleri infections to be rare.
From 2013 to 2022, a total of 29 infections were reported in the U.S. at a rate of between 0 and 5 cases per year.
In very rare cases, people have gotten Naegleria fowleri infections from recreational water that had an insufficient amount of chlorine in it, such as pools, splash pads, or surf parks.
However, this is the second known case of a child contracting a Naegleria fowleri infection at a splash pad.
On September 11, 2021, 3-year-old Bakari Williams died after he was infected with the same rare braineating amoeba while playing at a splash pad in Arlington, Texas.
As part of the settlement agreement with the Williams family, the city implemented the “Bakari Williams Protocol” which made significant investments in the installation of health and safety equipment at its public pools and splash pads.
The improvements included automated chemical controllers to set chlorine levels between 2.5 and 5 ppm that automatically shut off splash pads when water readings are not in required ranges, and the addition of a state-of-the-art ultraviolet (UV) system at splash pads.
Arlington Parks and Recreation Director James Orloski said that the city was committed to creating the highest standards of safety and transparency to reassure visitors about the city’s water safety.
“The policies in the Bakari Williams Protocol reflect the highest industry standards for aquatic facility maintenance and ensure multiple levels of accountability,” Orloski said.
