The death of an Ohio girl in Charlotte after she contracted an infection has raised questions locally about water-related diseases and how to avoid them.

Eighteen-year-old Lauren Seitz contracted Naegleria fowleri, “a one-celled organism that can cause primary amebic meningoencephalitis,” likely through her nose while whitewater rafting, according to reports from The Associated Press. The organism traveled through Seitz’s nose and caused a severe brain infection.

Despite the situation in Charlotte, however, there is no need for concern in Beaufort County, according Jim Madson, health director at the Beaufort County Public Health Department.

The unlikelihood of Naegleria fowleri being found around the Pamlico River is due to one main factor: the river’s brackish waters.

This particular organism is found in warm freshwater, according to information from the Centers for Disease Control, and does not thrive in the presence of any saltwater.

“Where it’s salty, probably not. I would say no,” Madson said.

Also, an infection of this kind is rare, even in areas where it could thrive. Fewer than 10 cases have been reported annually in the United States in the past 53 years, the CDC website stated, and Madson said there have only been 35 cases of infection in the last decade.

The Pamlico River does contain pathogens of its own, including E. coli and cryptosporidium, both of which cause intestinal issues and diarrhea, but the health department monitors the waters for elevated levels.

“Water that’s not treated, such as rivers and lakes, could have a variety of germs,” Madson said. “Those are all rare as well. … Generally, you know, there are such low concentrations that they don’t infect people.”

Madson said that the concentrations are highest after heavy rainfall because of the runoff from riverbanks, but even then, it is relatively low.

In the event of a concentration increase, the North Carolina Recreational Water Quality Program monitors the water and releases an alert to the public when levels appear to be elevated. Those water quality tests look at levels of enterococcus, which is not harmful itself, but rather indicates the presence of other harmful bacteria, according to a release from the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality.

Elevated levels of bacteria and other pathogens are particularly dangerous for those with poor health or weaker immune systems, Madson said.

“I’d be OK with swimming in the water as long as it didn’t have that advisory,” he said. “I swim in the water all the time, and I have no reservations.”

Although there is little concern, Madson said anyone coming in contact with the water should follow simple precautions, such as avoiding drinking it and staying out of areas under an advisory.

The state Department of Health and Human Services also released a list of precautions for those planning to travel to an area where Naegleria fowleri could potentially be: limit the amount of water going up one’s nose; avoid water-related activities when water temperatures are high and water levels are low; avoid stirring up sediment in shallow areas.