Israeli Boy, 9, Hospitalized in Serious Condition After Brain-Eating Amoeba Infection

A nine-year-old boy from Pardes Hanna is in serious condition at Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa after contracting a rare and deadly "brain-eating amoeba," identified as Naegleria fowleri. The child was transferred from another hospital to Rambam, where doctors suspect the infection originated from exposure to water in the Sea of Galilee.

Professor Dani Eitan, Director of Pediatric Intensive Care at Rambam's Ruth Children's Hospital, stated that the boy presented with symptoms of central nervous system infection. "He was transferred from another hospital yesterday with signs of central nervous system infection. During the investigation, suspicion arose that it was an amoeba infection, based on the clinical presentation, laboratory findings, and the history of exposure to the Sea of Galilee," Eitan explained. The child is currently receiving intensive treatment from the medical team.