COLUMBIA — An infectious disease expert with MU Health Care said that while a severe brain infection caused by an amoeba is often deadly, it is extremely rare.

Christian Rojas Moreno said the way to prevent contracting the so-called "brain-eating amoeba" is for people to prevent water getting in their nose while they're in warm, fresh bodies of water like lakes, ponds, rivers and hot springs. The amoeba can also live in pools and splash pads if the water is not treated properly with chlorine, Rojas Moreno said.

Rojas Moreno's recommendations come a day after the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services confirmed a case of Naegleria fowleri in a Missouri adult. This amoeba causes amebic meningoencephalitis, or PAM, and is also known as the "brain-eating" infection, according to

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