"We have confirmed a rare brain infection in a Missourian caused by an ameba (also spelled amoeba) called Naegleria fowleri. The infection is known as primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) - it is not contagious, but it is deadly. The patient is being treated in the ICU," the post said. It is the first such infection in three years for Missouri.

A 9-year-old girl from Kozhikode, Kerala, died of amoebic encephalitis caused by the rare “brain-eating” amoeba Naegleria fowleri. This is the district’s fourth case in 2025, raising public health concerns over freshwater safety.

The deadly infection has been historically rare, but as climate change heats up waters and worsens flooding, research shows cases could become more common.