Overview

• The South Carolina Department of Public Health has officially attributed 12-year-old Jaysen Carr’s death on July 18 to a Naegleria fowleri infection contracted at Lake Murray.
• Clarence and Ebony Carr held a news conference urging state and local authorities to issue public advisories, require routine water testing and enforce mandatory reporting of amoeba cases.
• The CDC recommends holding the nose shut, using nose clips or keeping the head above water during freshwater activities to reduce the risk of primary amebic meningoencephalitis.
• Experts warn that rising water temperatures driven by climate change may expand the geographic range of the amoeba, yet standardized environmental monitoring remains unreliable.
• South Carolina currently has no laws mandating public notification, lake closures or water testing after confirmed Naegleria fowleri cases, fueling broader policy review.