Boy Has a 'Brain-Eating' Amoeba, Officials Warn Against Swimming in Freshwater Lakes, Ponds

A 12-year-old Southwest Florida boy contracted a rare and deadly infection from a "brain-eating" amoeba after playing in contaminated water Aug. 3 in LaBelle, according reports.

Zachary Reyna, 12, has been diagnosed with primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, a rare form of meningitis caused by the amoeba naegleria fowleri, according to ABC News Fort Meyers, Fla., affiliate WZVN-TV.

The Florida Department of Health in Orange and Seminole counties is warning families to take precautions while swimming in warm, freshwater lakes and ponds due to the threat posed by the braining-eating amoeba, Naegleria fowleri. If the amoeba enters through the nose, it can cause an infection that causes the brain to swell, known as meningitis. Death usually occurs in 99 percent of cases. 

"I wish I could just touch him and it would transfer over. It don't work like that," said Zachary's brother, Brandon Villarreal. "It's just tough to see him like this."

The Glades County health department confirmed the case this weekend and announced the diagnosis Monday in a news release. The infection is usually fatal, according to the release.

"This is a very rare occurrence," county health department spokeswoman Brenda Barnes told ABCNews.com. "This amoeba is out there. It could be anywhere in any warm, fresh water."

Cases linked to the amoeba have occurred recently in Florida and Arkansas.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been about 120 cases reported in the U.S. since the amoeba was identified in the early 1960s. The victims typically are exposed to the bug while swimming or doing water sports in warm ponds or lakes. 
His family said Tuesday on a Facebook page that Zachary is still battling the infection.

"Doctors are saying things have not changed. We are still strong on our end because we know God will step in when He is ready. Keep praying. I feel this is much bigger than my Zac," Zachary's parents wrote.