Kinneret Crossing Swim Race Postponed Due to Rare Brain-Eating Amoeba
The annual Kinneret Crossing swim race, originally scheduled for next weekend, has been postponed until November 14 due to the presence of a rare and dangerous amoeba in the water. The decision was made after consultations with professional bodies.
Despite the postponement of the race, all beaches on the Sea of Galilee (Kinneret) remain open for swimming, and local accommodations are prepared for holiday guests. Officials emphasized that the Kinneret's water is flowing, not stagnant, and that regular quality tests by the Water Authority and Ministry of Health show no reason to close the beaches. "The Kinneret beaches are open to the general public, there is no directive to close beaches," stated Yossi Nabeh, Mayor of Tiberias and Chairman of the Kinneret Cities Association. He urged visitors to follow Ministry of Health guidelines.
The postponement follows the hospitalization of an 8-year-old boy in critical condition with brain inflammation caused by the Naegleria fowleri amoeba. Epidemiological investigations indicated the child swam at the Koursi beach on the Kinneret a week before his admission. The Ministry of Health has issued updated recommendations for swimming in the Kinneret, advising the use of nose plugs, avoiding diving or jumping with water entering the nose, and refraining from activities that force water into the nose. They stressed that infection occurs when water containing the amoeba enters through the nose and can reach the brain, but it cannot be contracted by drinking water or through person-to-person contact.
The ministry highlighted that while the disease is rare, it is severe, rapidly progressing, and has a very high mortality rate. They recommend clear signage at Kinneret beaches informing swimmers of the risks and precautions. Naegleria fowleri is a single-celled amoeba naturally found in warm freshwater. Since 2022, four cases of infection have been diagnosed in Israel, including two in July 2024 linked to a water park near the Kinneret. Globally, fewer than 500 cases have been reported in scientific literature.
