Boy Dies After Contracting Brain-Eating Amoeba in Sea of Galilee

A nine-year-old boy, Baruch Neria from Pardes Hanna, has died after contracting a rare and deadly brain-eating amoeba, Naegleria fowleri. The infection occurred after he swam at the Kursi beach on the Sea of Galilee.

Doctors at Rambam Hospital confirmed his death. The amoeba is known to enter the brain through the nose and destroy brain tissue. It is often fatal.

While rare, infections from Naegleria fowleri have been documented in warm freshwater bodies. The Sea of Galilee is a major freshwater lake in northern Israel. Health officials have previously warned swimmers about the risks associated with swimming in freshwater during hot weather, especially in shallow, warm areas where the amoeba thrives.

Further details regarding the specific circumstances of the infection and any public health advisories issued in response to this incident were not immediately available.