10-year-old girl died in Texas hospital about a week after contracting rare brain-eating amoeba while swimming in a river.
"We want everyone to know we appreciate their prayers and love and support," Yadon continued."Our Lily Mae changed lives and brought unity to a divided nation. It's just like her! She loved everyone, and people felt it even through a TV or Facebook. She taught us so much more than we ever taught her."
The fatality rate for Naegleria fowleri infections is over 97%. Only four out of 145 known-infected individuals in the United States have survived since the amoeba was first identified in the 1960s, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chris Van Deusen, a spokesman for the Texas Department of State Health Services, confirmed to ABC News that there was a case of primary amebic meningoencephalitis caused by Naegleria fowleri in a resident of Bosque County, but couldn't provide further details on the patient due to privacy reasons.
"Because the organism is common in lakes and rivers," he added,"we don't recommend people specifically avoid bodies of water where someone has contracted the illness."
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