Child Dies After Contracting Brain-Eating Amoeba at Sea of Galilee

A young boy has died after contracting a rare and deadly brain-eating amoeba infection, believed to have occurred during a visit to the Sea of Galilee. The child, identified as 10-year-old Reuven Noy from the community settlement of Nov, was reportedly playing in the Kinneret, as the Sea of Galilee is known in Hebrew, when he may have been exposed to the Naegleria fowleri amoeba.

Reuven was initially taken to Ziv Medical Center in Safed with severe symptoms. His condition rapidly deteriorated, and he was subsequently transferred to Schneider Children's Medical Center in Petah Tikva for specialized care. Despite intensive medical efforts, doctors were unable to save his life, and his death was pronounced on Tuesday.

Naegleria fowleri is a free-living microscopic amoeba that can cause primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a devastating brain infection. The amoeba typically enters the body through the nose, often when people swim or dive in warm freshwater locations. Once inside, it travels to the brain and destroys brain tissue, leading to a rapid and usually fatal illness. Health officials are investigating the exact circumstances of the infection and have issued warnings about swimming in freshwater bodies during the summer months when water temperatures are higher and the risk of amoeba presence increases.