MISSION, Kan. -- An extremely rare brain-eating amoeba has killed a nine-year-old girl from Johnson County.
Hally Yust, 9, from Spring Hill was an avid skier and died two days ago on Wednesday.
The amoeba is found in fresh water. A county disease investigator tells FOX 4 that Yust had several potential exposures in fresh water in Kansas, so the actual source of infection cannot be determined. She was taken to a hospital with meningitis-like symptoms and testing revealed the amoeba infection.
It's called Naegleria fowleri. It's in lakes, rivers and hot springs. Infection is extremely rare. There have been fewer than 200 cases in the U.S. in more than 50 years. There was also a death in a Wichita-area resident in 2011.
"The amoeba goes up through the nose and into the brain and once it's there, there's really nothing anybody can do. There's only been one case that actually lived through this. All the other cases have passed away," said Tiffany Geiger, the investigator with the Johnson County Health Department.
Geiger says even though the chances of getting the brain-eating amoeba are very low, you can lower the chances by wearing noseplugs when swimming, skiing or doing other fresh water activities. The risk does increase in the summer with warmer water temperatures.
Symptoms usually appear five days after infection. They include headache, fever, nausea, stiff neck and confusion.
The health department says infection cannot be spread from person to person, and you cannot get it from a swimming pool which is properly maintained.
On Friday, FOX 4's Abby Eden spoke with Yust's mother about her little girl.
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Her family released this statement:
"Our precious daughter, Hally, loved life and part of her great joy was spending time playing in the water. Her life was taken by a rare amoeba organism that grows in many different fresh water settings. We want you to know this tragic event is very, very rare, and this is not something to become fearful about.
We hope you will not live in fear of this rare infection that took our daughter's life. Our family is very active in water sports, and we will continue to be.
We pray that Hally's life is not in vain. We are so thankful that she is now with Jesus and her spirit lives on. We appreciate all the love and support from everyone."
A scholarship fund has been set up in Hally's honor, and those who wish to contribute are asked to send donations to:
The Hally "Bug" Yust K-State Women's Basketball Scholarship, Ahearn Fund, 1800 College Ave., Suite 138, Manhattan, Kansas 66502
Yust's family hopes the scholarship will provide educational opportunities for young women who love basketball as much as their daughter did.
Susan
I wonder if healthcare providers used the new experimental anti-amoeba drug from the CDC that allowed an Arkansas girl to survive?
Rick James
Yes this is rare, but I’m just wondering if the infected waters (usually stagnant lakes not fed by a river or an underground spring like the lakes in Florida) can be treated somehow to destroy this thing.
Paul Roth
Peace be with your entire family in getting through this difficult time.
nonya bisnuss
Liberal schools and colleges eat more healthy brain per year than this organism…that’s a fact
Bessie
Some people on here are saying the amoeba is even present in tap water. If that is so, does that mean we should wear noseplugs when taking a shower?
bluesky
This means never get near water. Don’t even drink it.
Grizz Mann
Any illegals being housed there?
Pat Henry
Prayers for the soul of little Hally and for her loving family. How sad and tragic. Lord be with them all. :-(
Richard Head
Brain eating amoeba? The water in DC must be completely infested!
Steven
Wow, some of you people are absolutely pathetic. A child is dead, and all you can do is debate pointless stuff and make jokes. I’m so sorry for what this family has to deal with now, I sincerely hope they find peace, because this has got to be the hardest thing for anyone to go through.
Jenny K
I never let my children go swimming in fresh bodies of water. They are filled with these bacteria and deadly amoebas. Isolated salt water oceans or chlorinated home pool.
We filter all of our water on the way in the home.
Lakes and rivers are death pools. Never.
kmrod
death pools?
that’s a little hysterical, isn’t it?
Jarvis
More likely to catch this in salt water than brain eating amoeba in fresh water.
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/10/11/31-in-florida-infected-by-bacteria-in-salt-water/
Frank D
RIP Holly, life wasn’t fair to you. Prayers and condolences to family and friends.
Charles Austin Miller
This isn’t anything new. People die every year from amoeba encephalitis, always due to swimming and diving in stagnant pools of water, usually during the summer months. It’s sad, but people (and the news media) simply are NOT educated on the subject. It’s not a “climate change” issue or a “Monsanto” issue, or any other low-information-voter issue.
Cory
I am moved by the beautiful comment the family shared with the public. Their grace and dignity and love for their daughter shine bright.
Jomama
I’m surprised doctors even figured out THAT much. Where’s the complete story where they had to go from doctor to doctor getting false diagnosis being told it’s stress related or just “in your mind” like most of the medical stories.
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