-- Health officials say there has been a confirmed case of Naegleria fowleri, a brain-eating amoeba, in Hillsborough County.

According to the Florida Department of Health (DOH), Naegleria fowleri is a microscopic single-celled living amoeba that can cause a rare infection of the brain, called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), which destroys brain tissue and is usually deadly.

The amoeba is commonly found in warm freshwater like lakes, rivers, ponds and canals, according to DOH.