AND CAROL AND NIGEL ARE UP NEXT WYFF NEWS FOUR AT SIX STARTS RIGHT NOW. A RARE INFECTION FROM BRAIN EATING AMOEBA SPOTTED IN SOUTH CAROLINA. WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE OFTEN DEADLY AND UNCURABLE DISEASE, AND WHAT RESEARCHERS HERE AT CLEMSON UNIVERSITY ARE DOING TO HELP PUSH FOR TREATMENTS THAT WORK. HARD TO CALL IT COOLER, BUT 90 TOMORROW WITH LOWER HUMIDITY WILL FEEL NICER. HOW LONG? THIS STICKS AROUND BARRICADES AND A PILE OF DIRT ARE BLOCKING THIS PORTION OF HIGHWAY 133 IN PICKENS COUNTY. AS CREWS CONTINUE TO ASSESS WHAT CAUSED THIS BRIDGE TO PARTIALLY COLLAPSE. A DEADLY AND INCURABLE INFECTION, CONSIDERED UNDERSTUDIED BY RESEARCHERS HAS BEEN CONFIRMED IN SOUTH CAROLINA. STATE OFFICIALS REPORTED A CASE INVOLVING BRAIN EATING AMOEBAS IN THE MIDLANDS THIS MONTH. OUR CAITLIN BB&T JOINS US AT CLEMSON UNIVERSITY. CAITLIN, WHY IS THERE A LACK OF LIGHT ON THIS SERIOUS DISEASE? GABRIELLE AND NIGEL IT’S CONSIDERED RARE, A VERY LOW RISK OF INFECTION. ONLY AROUND TEN AMERICANS EVERY YEAR REPORT HAVING THAT INFECTION. BUT IN ALMOST EVERY DIAGNOSIS, IT’S FATAL. HERE AT CLEMSON, EUKARYOTIC PATHOGENS INNOVATION CENTER, THEY’RE WORKING ON WAYS TO ADMINISTER A DRUG TO PATIENTS THAT LESSENS THE IMPACT OF THE DISEASE AND POTENTIALLY EXTENDS LIFE. IT’S NOT A CURE. AND BRAIN EATING AMOEBA ARE CONSIDERED UNCURABLE IN 95% OF CASES. THEY CAUSE DEATH. THESE ORGANISMS OFTEN THRIVE ON THE BACTERIA THAT’S GROWN IN WARM, FRESH WATER DURING SUMMER MONTHS. IT CAN INFECT THE BODY IF IT’S INGESTED THROUGH THE NOSE, AND THEN IT TRAVELS TO THE BRAIN. IT CAUSES SYMPTOMS SIMILAR TO MENINGITIS. THEN, MORE ALARMING, COGNITIVE OR PHYSICAL ISSUES. IF DIAGNOSTICS DO HAPPEN AND IT IS PROPERLY DIAGNOSED AND THE PATIENT IS TREATED, THIS FATALITY IS STILL OVER 97%. SO THAT’S WHAT REALLY DRIVES US TO DO WHAT WE DO BETTER. TREATMENTS ARE ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. DOCTORS SAY IT’S THE BEST TO KNOW WHERE BRAIN EATING AMOEBA COULD GROW IN LAKES, RIVERS OR ON RARE OCCASION, THINGS LIKE NON-CHLORINATED POOLS OR IN NASAL RINSING PRODUCTS. WE ARE TOLD THE NUMBER OF ORGANISMS DOES NOT RISE OR FALL DEPENDING ON THE WATER SUPPLY. MEDICAL EXPERTS ALSO SAY THAT IN MOST CASES, EXPOSURE THE BRAIN EATING AMOEBA OFTEN GOES AWAY BEFORE INFECTION CAN OCCUR. REPORTING IN CLEMSON CAITLIN ASHBAUGH, WYFF NEWS FOUR. CAITLIN THANK YOU. A LIVE LOOK NOW FROM OUR LAKE HARTWELL SKYCAM. IT LOOKS LIKE A BEAUTIFUL DAY OUT THERE. FEELS LIKE 100 DEGREES. BUT YOU KNOW, EVEN SO, IT DOES FEEL A LITTLE BIT COOLER. MAYBE JUST A LITTLE BIT COOLER THAN YESTERDAY. CHIEF METEOROLOGIST CHRIS JUSTUS JOINS US WITH THE AREA’S CERTIFIED MOST ACCURATE FORECAST. CHRIS. IS THAT ACCURATE? IS IT AT LEAST A FEW DEGREES COOLER? YEAH. MARK SAID IT. BEST SMALL VICTORIES, RIGHT? I MEAN, WE’RE SEEING THIS LITTLE NUDGE BACKWARDS A LITTLE BIT TODAY. MORE CLOUDS, LOWER TEMPERATURES. BUT THE HUMIDITY JUST STILL SKY HIGH. THAT’S LEADING TO THE RAIN THAT IS OVER OUR AREA. JUST PACKING A PUNCH. REALLY, REALLY HEAVY AND TORRENTIAL WHERE IT IS. AND WE’RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO GET MORE OF THESE TO CROP UP THROUGH THE EVENING AND EARLY PARTS OF THE OVERNIGHT FROM SPARTANBURG, TOWARD THE WEST INTO NORTHERN GREENVILLE COUNTY, LOWNDESVILLE TO ABBEVILLE AND ANDERSON. THESE SHOWERS ARE PACKING A PUNCH. THEY’RE ISOLATED, BUT THEY’RE PUTTING DOWN 1 TO 2IN OF RAIN AND 30 TO 45 MINUTES, AND YOU GO BACK THROUGH NORTHEAST GEORGIA. WE’VE SEEN THAT RAIN PACKING A PUNCH ALONG I-26, JUST TORRENTIAL. ONE OF THOSE WHERE YOU GOT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ON ALL THE WAY, AND IT’S STILL BARELY ALLOWING YOU TO SEE IN FRONT OF YOU. SO BE CAREFUL. LET SOME OF THESE STORMS DIE ON DOWN BEFORE YOU DO ANY BIG TRAVEL. 90 IN GREENVILLE, 93 IN ANDERSON. BOY, THOSE HUMIDITY SKY HIGH TODAY, MAKING IT FEEL LIKE CLOSE TO 100. BUT PROGRESS WILL BE MADE AS WE GO INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS WITH A FRONT MOVING THROUGH. WE’LL START OFF IN THE 70S TOMORROW, ONLY TOP OUT IN THE 80S IN MANY LOCATIONS. COMING UP, HOW LONG THAT WILL LAST? THANK YOU CHRIS. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED AFTER A PARTIAL BRIDGE COLLAPSE YESTERDAY IN PICKENS COUNTY. TODAY, CREWS ARE WORKING TO ASSESS WHAT CAUSED THE BRIDGE ON HIGHWAY 133 TO GIVE WAY. BUT HOW MANY LOAD RESTRICTED BRIDGES ARE SPREAD OUT ACROSS THE COUNTY? AND HOW DOES THE INFRASTRUCTURE COMPARE TO OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE? OUR REY LLERENA REPORTS BARRICADES NOW LINE ACROSS HIGHWAY 133 IN PICKENS COUNTY, NEAR NEWTON ROAD. AFTER THIS BRIDGE PARTIALLY COLLAPSED YESTERDAY. CREWS ARE STILL ON THE SCENE TODAY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT EXACTLY CAUSED THAT TO HAPPEN. D-O-T SAYS ALL BRIDGES IN THEIR INVENTORY ARE INSPECTED EVERY TWO YEARS AT MINIMUM. BUT SAY BRIDGES IN WORSE THAN FAIR CONDITION COULD BE INSPECTED MORE OFTEN. ACCORDING TO STATE RECORDS, 69 OF PICKENS COUNTY’S 214 BRIDGES, OR ALMOST ONE OUT OF EVERY THREE, HAS A LOAD RESTRICTION. STATE REPRESENTATIVE DAVE HYATT SAYS THAT NUMBER IS NOT SURPRISING TO HIM, ADDING THAT A LOT OF THE COUNTY’S BRIDGES WERE BUILT IN THE 1960S. HE SAYS THE SOLUTION IS NOT A LACK OF FUNDING FOR BRIDGE PROJECTS, BUT INSTEAD THE NEED FOR MORE MANPOWER. THIS IS PICKENS COUNTY, GOT 45 OTHER COUNTIES, PROBABLY GOT A SAME LIST SIMILAR TO THIS. AND SO IT’S IT’S NOT IT’S NOT FROM THE LACK OF WORK THAT THEY’VE GOT, THEY’VE GOT THEY’VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY’VE, THEY ANY OPPORTUNITY, ANY RESOURCES THEY CAN PULL OUT. LET’S PULL IT OUT AND LET’S GO TO WORK. PICKENS COUNTY FIRST RESPONDERS SAY THEY EXPECT MORE TRAFFIC ON BACK ROADS WHILE THE BRIDGE IS OUT. SC DNR SAYS THEY HAVE CLOSED BOAT TRAFFIC UNDERNEATH THE BRIDGE FOR NOW. SCDOT SAYS THEY EXPECT TO HAVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT POTENTIAL TIMELINE FOR REPAIRS LATER THIS WEEK. REPORTING IN PICKENS COUNTY, REY LLERENA. WYFF NEWS FOUR IN ANDERSON COUNTY. A TODDLER IS IN CRITICAL CONDITION TONIGHT AFTER BEING FOUND UNRESPONSIVE IN A POOL. OFFICIALS SAY THE 18 MONTH OLD WAS FOUND YESTERDAY AT A HOME IN HONEA PATH. WE ARE TOLD THE TODDLER WAS IN CARDIAC ARREST WHEN FIRST RESPONDERS ARRIVED. THEY SAY THE CHILD WAS TAKEN TO A HOSPITAL AND A PULSE WAS FOUND ON THE WAY. AUTHORITIES SAY THE CHILD REMAINS IN CRITICAL CONDITION IN SPARTANBURG COUNTY. TROOPERS SAY A DRIVER IS DEAD AFTER A CRASH. THEY SAY IT HAPPENED YESTERDAY MORNING ON CEDAR SPRINGS ROAD NEAR KIRBY ROAD. THAT IS NEAR PACOLET. TROOPERS SAY A CAR WENT OFF THE ROAD AND HIT A TREE. WE’RE TOLD THE DRIVER DIED AT THE SCENE. THE CORONER HAS NOT RELEASED THAT PERSON’S NAME. IN ANDERSON COUNTY. TODAY MARKS EIGHT YEARS SINCE A MAN DIED IN A MOTORCYCLE CRASH IN HONEA PATH. MILLARD CONWELL EARL WAS 36 YEARS OLD WHEN HE WAS INVOLVED IN A MOTORCYCLE CRASH ON HIGHWAY 252 AT ARMSTRONG ROAD. THE CORONER’S OFFICE SAYS TO THIS DAY, HIS FAMILY HAS SEARCHED FOR ANSWERS ABOUT THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING HIS DEATH. THE REASON WE ARE HERE IS WE NEED CLOSURE. IT’S BEEN EIGHT YEARS. HE HAD FIVE BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS, GRANDKIDS. WE NEED CLOSURE. IT’S A DIFFERENCE WHEN YOU HAVE CLOSURE. IF YOU DON’T HAVE CLOSURE. BUT DEATH, IT’S A IT’S A DIFFERENT. IT HURTS WORSE. WE NEED CLOSURE. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION IS ASKED TO CONTACT LAW ENFORCEMENT. THE CLEMSON POLICE DEPARTMENT IS ASKING FOR THE PUBLIC’S HEALTH HELP IN IDENTIFYING A MAN SEEN TAKING PACKAGES OFF A PORCH. POLICE RELEASED PICTURES OF THE MAN AND HIS VEHICLE ON FACEBOOK YESTERDAY. THEY SAY THE PICTURES WERE TAKEN AROUND 6:30 A.M. ON SUNDAY. OFFICIALS DID NOT SAY WHICH AREA THIS HAPPENED. AUTHORITIES ARE ASKING ANYONE WITH INFORMATION TO CONTACT THEM. STUDENTS IN GREENWOOD ARE HEADING BACK TO THE CLASSROOM. THURSDAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR GREENWOOD DISTRICT’S 50, 51 AND 52. TODAY, GREENWOOD DISTRICT 50 HELD ORIENTATIONS FOR ELEMENTARY AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. AS YOU START CHECKING OFF THAT BACK TO SCHOOL LIST, EXPERTS WANT YOU TO CHECK UP ON YOUR CHILD’S VACCINATION RECORDS. NEXT MONTH, THE SPARTANBURG COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS HOSTING TWO FREE BACK TO SCHOOL IMMUNIZATION CLINICS. PARENTS CAN GET THEIR CHILD VACCINES FOR HEPATITIS A, TDAP AND CHICKENPOX. RIGHT NOW ON WYFF4.COM AND OUR MOBILE APP, YOU CAN FIND A FULL LIST OF BACK TO SCHOOL START DATES FOR THE UPSTATE. RIGHT NOW. A SPECIAL COMMUNITY CELEBRATION IS HAPPENING IN EASLEY. LOOK AT THE CROWD THERE. SKY FOUR IS LIVE OVER THE PARADE HONORING THE SOUTH CAROLINA DISTRICT ONE HOST TEAM FOR THE 2025 SENIOR LEAGUE BASEBALL WORLD SERIES. 12 TEAMS TAKING PART IN THE TOURNAMENT. THE CHAMPIONSHIP WILL BEGIN THIS SATURDAY AT THE J.