Celebration of life for 6-year-old who died from amoeba-caused illness after swimming in pond

The service for 6-year-old Aven Moffat will be at the amphitheater at E. Carroll Joyner Park in Wake Forest at 10 a.m.

It will be family friendly, and guests are encouraged to dress casually and bring chairs.

Moffat died last Friday after developing an illness caused by an amoeba that is naturally present in freshwater, the state Department of Health and Human Services confirmed Tuesday.

He became ill after swimming in a private pond on the family's property in early August, officials said.

"We are completely broken by the loss of our beloved and amazing Aven," the Moffat family said in a statement to WRAL.

"Our heart-felt condolences and sympathies are with the family and friends of this child," State Epidemiologist Dr. Zack Moore said in a statement. "Although these infections are very rare, this is an important reminder that this amoeba is present in North Carolina and that there are actions people can take to reduce their risk of infection when swimming in the summer."

Laboratory testing at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the child’s illness was caused by Naegleria fowleri, an amoeba commonly found in freshwater. Naegleria fowleri does not cause illness if swallowed but can be fatal if forced up the nose, as can occur during jumping into water, diving, water-skiing or other water activities, officials said.

The amoeba can cause severe illness up to nine days after exposure. A person cannot be infected with Naegleria fowleri by drinking water, and the amoeba is not found in salt water or in properly maintained and chlorinated pools.

Symptoms of Naegleria fowleri infection – an infection of the brain called primary amebic meningoencephalitis, or PAM – start with severe headache, fever, nausea and vomiting and progress to stiff neck, seizures and coma and can lead to death. These rare infections usually occur when it is hot for prolonged periods of time, which results in higher water temperatures and lower water levels, allowing the amoeba to thrive.

To prevent an infection, officials recommend the following precautions: