Kinneret Beaches Remain Open After Child Contracts Rare Brain-Eating Amoeba

Despite a report of a 9-year-old boy hospitalized in serious condition with a rare amoeba infection after swimming in the Sea of Galilee, the Kinneret Cities Association announced that all beaches on the lake remain open to the public. The association clarified that the Kinneret's waters are flowing, not stagnant, and that water quality tests are regularly conducted by the Water Authority and the Ministry of Health. There is no directive to close the beaches, according to the association.

Yossi Naba, Mayor of Tiberias and Chairman of the Kinneret Cities Association, stated that the beaches are open and that hotels, resorts, and campgrounds are prepared for the upcoming holiday season, expressing hope that visitors will enjoy safe swimming. The association urged the public to follow the Ministry of Health's guidelines.

The child was hospitalized after swimming at the Kursi beach on the Sea of Galilee about a week before his admission. Laboratory tests confirmed infection with Naegleria fowleri, known as the "brain-eating amoeba." The amoeba is typically found in warm, fresh water and infection occurs when contaminated water enters the nose; it is not caused by drinking water or transmitted person-to-person.

The Ministry of Health had previously recommended that swimmers take precautions, such as using nose plugs and avoiding diving or submerging the head. They also advised against activities that could force water into the nose, and disturbing the bottom sediment, especially in shallow areas. The ministry reiterated that drinking Kinneret water does not cause infection and the disease is not contagious.