Brain-Eating Amoeba Confirmed in Sea of Galilee; Swimming Race Postponed

Professor Sigal Sadetsky, head of the Public Health Division at the Ministry of Health, has officially addressed the discovery of the brain-eating amoeba, Naegleria fowleri, in the Sea of Galilee. The amoeba was linked to the hospitalization of a 9-year-old boy in serious condition with encephalitis.

Sadetsky clarified that as the Sea of Galilee is a natural lake, not a closed pool, it is practically impossible to purify the water or eliminate the amoeba. She stated that the amoeba is present in very low concentrations, making targeted sampling tests ineffective. The Ministry of Health operates under the assumption that the amoeba is and will continue to be present in the lake.

Due to the amoeba thriving in warmer water temperatures, the traditional Sea of Galilee swimming race has been postponed to November. Scientific data indicates that the risk of infection significantly decreases when water temperatures drop below 24 degrees Celsius.

The Ministry of Health emphasized that infection occurs only when water enters the nose and reaches the brain. Therefore, the primary recommendation for swimmers is to use nose plugs to prevent water from entering the nostrils. They also noted that while climate change contributes to the amoeba's proliferation, the risk of infection remains extremely rare, estimated at one in several million.