Girl, 9, dies from extremely rare brain-eating amoeba caught from Kansas lakes where she spent the summer doing water sports
- Hally Yust died on Wednesday and had been exposed to the Naegleria fowleri amoeba
- Officials said the amoeba caused an extremely rare infection called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), which can reach a swimmer's brain through his or her nose
- Yust played multiple sports and hoped to play college basketball
- There have only been 132 known cases of PAM in the US between 1962 and 2013
A 9-year-old Kansas girl died this week due to a brain-eating amoeba.
Victim Hally Yust died on Wednesday, Fox4KC says, and had been exposed to the Naegleria fowleri amoeba.
Yust's obituary said she played multiple sports and hoped to play college basketball.
'As a giver, caretaker, sister, daughter, and friend, Hally was the light to the world and a blessing to all,' her obituary said. She is survived by her parents and three siblings.
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Victim: Hally Yust, pictured, died this week because of a brain-eating amoeba
The Kansas Department of Health and Education (KDHE) said in a news release that the victim had been in several bodies of fresh water. The source of the amoeba was not identified, the agency said.
The KDHE said the amoeba led to primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), which can reach a swimmer's brain through his or her nose.
'Naegleri fowleri can be found in freshwater environments around the world, but infection causing PAM is extremely rare,' the agency said. 'From 1962 to 2013, there have been 132 cases reported in the United States, with 34 of those cases occurring from 2004 to 2013.
'Most cases have occurred in southern-tier states. The risk of infection is very low, but increases during the summer months when water temperatures rise and more people participate in water-related activities.'
Active: Hally Yust, pictured, enjoyed sports, including waterskiing
Robert Moser of the KDHE said in the release 'It is important for the public to know that infections like these are extremely rare and there are precautions one can take to lower their risk – such as nose plugs.'
Yust's family said in a statement to Fox4KC that Hally 'loved life and part of her great joy was spending time playing in the water. Her life was taken by a rare amoeba organism that grows in many different fresh water settings. We want you to know this tragic event is very, very rare, and this is not something to become fearful about.
'We hope you will not live in fear of this rare infection that took our daughter’s life. Our family is very active in water sports, and we will continue to be.'
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