HOPE MILLS, N.C. -- An individual from Guilford County has died as a result of a rare brain infection.

• Cumberland County Department of Public Health says the person from Guilford County died after developing Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis.
• They went swimming in Fantasy Lake Water Park in Hope Mills on July 12.
• Officials say the illness was caused by Naegleria fowleri and can be fatal if forced up the nose.

Officials from the Cumberland County Department of Public Health say the individual from Guilford County died after developing Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis, an illness caused by an amoeba that is naturally present in warm freshwater during the summer.

They went swimming in Fantasy Lake Water Park in Hope Mills on July 12.

Officials say the illness was caused by Naegleria fowleri and can be fatal if forced up the nose.

The infection due to the single cell organism is rare, with only five cases reported in North Carolina between 1962 and 2018.

The amoeba can't be removed from freshwater lakes but swimmers are asked to:

• Limit the amount of water going up your nose. Hold your nose shut, use nose clips, or keep your head above water when taking part in warm freshwater-related activities.
• Avoid water-related activities in warm freshwater during periods of high water temperatures and low water levels.
• Avoid digging in, or stirring up, the sediment while taking part in water-related activities in shallow, warm freshwater areas.

For more information on the amoeba and illness, click here.