Brain Eating Amoeba Kills One After Lake Murray Swim

CARTER COUNTY, OK-- Health officials in Oklahoma say, one person has died after being infected by a rare disease while swimming in Lake Murray.

Although a tragedy, health officials say it is a very rare occurrence, since 1998 they say there have only been 7 cases like it in the whole state. 

"This is a very rare instance," Health Administrator Mendy Spohn said. 

  The Oklahoma State Health Department announced Wednesday that a young adult from Carter County died due to a deadly microorganism known as  "P.A.M."  

"It enters your body through your nose and goes through goes into your brain and that's where you become ill, severe headaches, high fever, vomiting, that could turn into swelling of the brain and coma, that's kind of the progression of the disease," Spohn said. 

They say it's present in most lakes, ponds and rivers but flourishes in very warm stagnant water... but some visitors we talked to say, they're taking their chances..

"Oh yeah we'll still swim and hang out I mean, we've been in the water all day so if it's going to happen it's already happened, you know, so why freak out now," Pam Carter said.  

Others say they're cautious regardless of this case..  

"There's so many lakes and ponds out there you don't know what you're going to catch, it's just one of those things," Stephenie Canales said. 

 The Health Department says the best way to avoid infection is to avoid shallow stagnant water and to keep your head above water when swimming in lakes and ponds during the hottest months of the summer.. also they say to hold your nose if your going to jump in.

"If you're going to swim in those bodies of water, go ahead and take the precautions," Spohn said. 

 While people from out of town say they will not take a dip in the lake for a while, locals say this doesn't change their routine.

"I'm sorry to hear that it happened but you know we can't stop living our lives," Canales said. 

 They say that Lake Murray should not be considered any more dangerous than any other fresh body of water and that visitors should not fear going out on the lake or swimming moving forward.