A 14-year-old boy has died after encountering a rare amoeba while swimming in a lake north of Houston, a relative says.
Relatives say Michael Riley Jr. developed a headache and later became disoriented after swimming with his cross country team Aug. 13.
The incoming high school freshman was diagnosed with Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis. The amoeba had entered his nasal passages and made its way into his brain.
Riley's cousin Jennifer Hohman said in a news release Sunday that Riley was transported to Texas Children's Hospital and placed in a medically induced coma until tests proved he had lost all brain function and could not breathe without support.
The hospital disconnected the ventilator Sunday. Hohman confirmed that he died.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says between 2005 and 2014, the amoeba infected 35 people in the U.S.
