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A 6-year-old Texas boy died from a brain-eating amoeba. His mom wants others to know the symptoms

A 6-year-old Texas boy died from a brain-eating amoeba. His mom wants others to know the symptoms
Maria Castillo is in mourning. Less than three weeks ago, her six year old son, Josiah Christopher McIntyre, died from an amoeba in his brain. She attended a benefit Saturday in which friends air raising money for hospital and funeral expenses. Maria first noticed the symptoms on a Thursday when her son complained of a headache. It got worse Friday. It was vomiting and throwing up and still the headache. But, I mean, kids get sick. It's normal. Kids vomit. Kids, you know, run a fever. Saturday, they went to the emergency room, where he tested negative for Cove it they thought he had another virus. On Sunday, she took him to Texas Children's. He was disoriented. That first head C T. That they did on him did show the brain swelling. Doctors thought it might be meningitis or encephalitis. They could not relieve the swelling, no matter what they did. And then they discovered the cause. An amoeba, her son was not in a lake or pond or creek. He played at a splash pad. That was it. She will not comment on the current water ban in her home community, but she tells parents to be cautious. Look, for flu like symptoms, which she says she knows is difficult. She hopes one day to know exactly how her precious child caught an incurable killer. We want to know as a family, um, you know, for a piece of mine. I mean, I know it doesn't bring him back, or it probably won't make us feel better, but the fact that we know how he got it, how he contracted it just gives us that peace of mind knowing that we can we know.
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A 6-year-old Texas boy died from a brain-eating amoeba. His mom wants others to know the symptoms
A Texas mother is in mourning after her 6-year-old son died from a brain-eating amoeba earlier this month.Maria Castillo told KTRK-TV that her son, Josiah Christopher McIntyre, quickly went downhill in a matter of days.He complained of a headache on a Thursday."Friday, it was vomiting and throwing up and still the headache," Castillo told the TV station. "But I mean, kids get sick. It's normal. Kids vomit. Kids run a fever."He tested negative for COVID-19 on a Saturday. And then on Sunday, Josiah was disoriented and doctors discovered brain swelling. He died on Sept. 8.He was not in a pond or a lake — only a splash pad, Castillo said.She wants other parents to be on the lookout for flu-like symptoms that could be something more.On Saturday, residents of eight cities have been alerted that a brain-eating amoeba was found in a southeast Texas water supply, leading one of the towns to issue a disaster declaration, but Castillo didn't comment on the water ban in her community.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that while Naegleria fowleri infections are rare, most are fatal. From 2009 to 2018, only 34 infections were reported in the United States. Of those reported cases, 30 people were infected by recreational water.According to the CDC, 145 people were infected from 1962 to 2018. Only four survived.Watch the video above to learn more about this story.

A Texas mother is in mourning after her 6-year-old son died from a brain-eating amoeba earlier this month.

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Maria Castillo told KTRK-TV that her son, Josiah Christopher McIntyre, quickly went downhill in a matter of days.

He complained of a headache on a Thursday.

"Friday, it was vomiting and throwing up and still the headache," Castillo told the TV station. "But I mean, kids get sick. It's normal. Kids vomit. Kids run a fever."

He tested negative for COVID-19 on a Saturday. And then on Sunday, Josiah was disoriented and doctors discovered brain swelling. He died on Sept. 8.

He was not in a pond or a lake — only a splash pad, Castillo said.

She wants other parents to be on the lookout for flu-like symptoms that could be something more.

On Saturday, residents of eight cities have been alerted that a brain-eating amoeba was found in a southeast Texas water supply, leading one of the towns to issue a disaster declaration, but Castillo didn't comment on the water ban in her community.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that while Naegleria fowleri infections are rare, most are fatal. From 2009 to 2018, only 34 infections were reported in the United States. Of those reported cases, 30 people were infected by recreational water.

According to the CDC, 145 people were infected from 1962 to 2018. Only four survived.

Watch the video above to learn more about this story.