Explainer: Amoeba Kills Child In Tarrant County, But Risk Of Infection Is 'Very Rare,' Experts Say

Arlington TX

27 September, 2021

7:03 PM

Description

By Alexis Allison, Fort Worth Report September 27, 2021 A child died Sept. 11 from a rare infection caused by a waterborne amoeba they likely ingested at the Don Misenhimer Park splash pad in Arlington, according to a press release Monday from Tarrant County Public Health. The department did not provide further details about the child to protect their identity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the amoeba's presence at the splash pad Friday. The City of Arlington had closed the splash pad — along with all other public splash pads — in early September after learning about the child's illness. The splash pad's inspection records were missing how much chlorine, a disinfectant, the water contained on two of the three days the child visited, according to the release. The day after the child's visit, however, the records indicated the chlorine level had fallen below what's acceptable. To read the full article, click here. Fort Worth Report is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization that produces factual, in-depth journalism about city and county government, schools, healthcare, business, and arts and culture in Tarrant County. Always free to read; subscribe to newsletters, read coverage or support our newsroom at fortworthreport.org.