New York Woman Dies After Contracting Brain-Eating Amoeba In Cecil Co.

Maryland health officials say a New York woman died in her home state earlier this month of a rare brain infection contracted while swimming in Cecil County.

The 19-year-old died Sept. 2, according to a statement from the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, citing New York officials.. The culprit was the amoeba Naegleria fowleri, which occurs naturally in fresh, warm water, typically in southern states. It's contracted when the amoeba forcefully enters up the nose, then travels via the olfactory nerve to the brain.

The release did not say in which body of water the fatal infection was contracted or when.

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