Woman, 18, dies from rare 'brain-eating' amoeba infection after whitewater rafting in North Carolina

Lauren Seitz, (pictured), of Westerville, Ohio, died of primary amebic meningoencephalitis on Sunday.


She is believed to have been exposed to the amoeba that is naturally present in warm fresh water while on the trip with her church group earlier this month. Authorities are still investigating, but her only known underwater exposure was thought to be when her raft overturned at the U.S. National Whitewater Center (right) in Charlotte.