Rare Amoeba Infection Leaves Israeli Child in Critical Condition

A nine-year-old boy is hospitalized in serious condition, sedated and on a respirator in the intensive care unit at Rambam Health Care Campus, after contracting a rare amoebic brain infection. The Ministry of Health confirmed that laboratory tests identified the Naegleria fowleri amoeba as the cause of the illness. Initial epidemiological investigations indicate the child swam at Kursi Beach on the Sea of Galilee about a week before his hospitalization.

Naegleria fowleri is a microscopic amoeba that thrives in warm freshwater and causes a rare, highly fatal brain infection. Infection occurs when contaminated water enters the nose, not through drinking or person-to-person contact. Globally, fewer than 500 cases have been reported, with three cases diagnosed in Israel in recent years.

In response to this incident, the Ministry of Health advises avoiding getting water in the nose while swimming in warm freshwater sources. Recommendations include using nose plugs and avoiding stirring up the sediment at the bottom of water bodies.

The ministry also stressed that anyone experiencing symptoms such as fever, severe headache, nausea, vomiting, stiff neck, confusion, or unusual drowsiness after exposure to warm freshwater should seek immediate medical attention, informing healthcare providers about the water exposure.