Funeral for teen who died of suspected brain infection after swimming

The funeral for a 14-year-old boy who died after possibly being exposed to a brain-swelling amoeba while swimming in a central Minnesota lake is planned for Monday.

Hunter Boutain, 14, died last Thursday after apparently being exposed to the freshwater amoeba Naegleria fowleri while swimming in Lake Minnewaska near Alexandria, Minn.

Boutain was treated for the infection at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital. His family says he enjoyed playing bass in the Discovery Middle School orchestra and jazz bands. He was also active in youth groups at Lakeland United Pentecostal Church.

Boutain's family is inviting those attending his funeral on Monday to wear turquoise, which they say was his favorite color. The funeral service will take place at 11 a.m. at the Holiday Inn in Alexandria. The family is also planning a visitation one hour before Monday's funeral service.

Health officials are still confirming the exact cause of Boutain's death. But they say the amoeba enters the body through the nose and can cause the amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). It's more common in southern states but has resulted in at least two other deaths in Minnesota in recent years.

The amoeba is more likely to be present when water temperatures are high and water levels are low. The likelihood of being exposed to the amoeba while swimming is still very low, according to health officials, but swimmers can take precautions by keeping their heads out of the water or wearing nose plugs.

At least 133 people have been infected by the amoeba in the United States over the last five decades, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Officials have traced most of the infections to recreation on water.