- A boy died in Arlington, Texas, after catching an infection at a local splash pool.
- The boy was admitted to the hospital with a rare amoeba-caused brain infection.
- A thorough investigation was launched into the cause of his death. It revealed that there had been a failure to test water quality.
A child died of a brain infection caused by a rare amoeba after visiting a contaminated splash pad in Arlington, Texas, the Associated Press reported.
The boy, who was not named by authorities, spent a week in hospital before succumbing to his illness on September 11. His diagnosis was primary amebic meningoencephalitis, an aggressive infection caused by the naegleria fowleri amoeba.
After being notified about the boy’s condition, health officials closed all the local splash pad and started an investigation. Their investigation confirmed the presence and severity of the amoeba on the Don Misenheimer Park splashpad. They also discovered water quality issues at several other locations.
According to the AP, two of the four splash pad locations in the city had inconsistent testing logs. Parks and Recreation workers failed to test water for chlorination in some cases.
Some gaps in chlorination readings coincided with dates when the child visited Don Misenhimer splashpad in late August or early September.
Officials claimed that the city’s drinking water is not affected by its isolated source.