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Martinez, Manglardi, Diez-Arguelles & Tejedor, P.A. has
filed a lawsuit on behalf of the family of a Kissimmee,
Florida child who died from amoebic encephalitis, a rare
infection of the brain caused by a specific species of
amoeba. Richard “Chino” Almeida, a ten-year-old
fifth-grader, contracted the disease while wakeboarding
on a freshwater lake at Orlando Watersports Complex on
August 26, 2007. He is the third child to die of the
disease this summer in Central Florida.
Naegleria fowleri, the amoeba responsible for the
deaths, is found in freshwater bodies of water and
thrives in water that is 80 degrees or warmer. When a
person inhales water through their nose, the amoeba gets
into the brain and causes the infection. The first signs
of infection include fever, headache, stiff neck and
vomiting. Those symptoms are quickly followed by
confusion and lethargy. Some victims will experience
seizures as well. The disease is almost always fatal.
The Florida Department of Health has again issued
public health warnings urging residents to be cautious
in freshwater bodies of water. These warning were posted
at public lakes and boat ramps, but are not required to
be posted at private locations, including Orlando
Watersports Complex. No warning was posted at the site
when the Almeida family arrived on August 26th.
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