Israel's Health Ministry Keeps Tiberias Beaches Open Despite Brain-Eating Amoeba Risk

Israel's Ministry of Health has announced that the beaches of the Sea of Galilee (Lake Tiberias) will remain open to the public during the upcoming holiday period, despite the detection of the dangerous brain-eating amoeba, Naegleria fowleri. Thousands of visitors are expected to flock to the popular tourist destination.

Professor Sigal Sadetsky, head of public health at the ministry, explained that the decision to keep the beaches open is based on the amoeba being present in the lake's water at very low concentrations. She likened finding it to searching for a needle in a haystack and stated that chlorinating the entire large lake to control the parasite is impossible.

The ministry clarified that infection with Naegleria fowleri is extremely rare but life-threatening. Infection occurs exclusively when contaminated water enters the brain through the nasal cavity; it cannot be contracted by drinking the water and is not transmitted from person to person. Symptoms typically appear one to 12 days after exposure and include fever, headache, vomiting, nausea, and neurological changes that can lead to loss of consciousness.

To minimize the risk of infection, the Ministry of Health has issued guidelines for beachgoers. Visitors are advised to avoid diving or jumping into the water, to keep their heads above the water surface as much as possible, and to refrain from any water activities that could force water into the nose at high pressure. The use of swimming earplugs is strongly recommended as a primary preventative measure.