FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – An individual case of a brain-eating amoeba has been confirmed in Broward County, according to the Florida Department of Health.
The amoeba is known as Naegleria fowlerii and was contracted by a person who swam in unsanitary water on a single private property, Florida Department of Health spokeswoman Mara Gambineri said.
Gambineri said the infected person is currently being treated at an area hospital.
Although health officials have not disclosed the location of the body of water, Gambineri said they're investigating and "are in the process of notifying persons with risk of exposure."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the brain-eating amoeba is typically found in bodies of warm freshwater, such as ponds, lakes, rivers and hot springs.