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15h ago

Carr Family Launches Probe After 12-Year-Old’s Death From Brain-Eating Amoeba at Lake Murray

Health officials maintain that Lake Murray poses no heightened threat following the first Naegleria fowleri case in South Carolina since 2016.

Jaysen Carr who died on July 18, 2025, after being exposed to a deadly brain eating amoeba.
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Overview

  • On July 18, 12-year-old Jaysen Carr died of primary amebic meningoencephalitis after likely exposure to Naegleria fowleri in Lake Murray.
  • The South Carolina Department of Public Health and Prisma Health confirmed this is the state’s first such case since 2016 and said the reservoir poses no increased danger.
  • The Carr family has hired attorney Tyler Bailey to conduct an independent investigation into the circumstances and press for steps to prevent future infections.
  • The CDC records fewer than ten U.S. cases of Naegleria fowleri annually, with only four survivors among 167 cases since 1962, underscoring the organism’s high fatality rate.
  • Experts recommend holding the nose shut, using nose clips or keeping the head above water when swimming in warm freshwater to reduce the risk of infection.