Israeli Boy Dies From Rare Brain-Eating Amoeba Infection

A nine-year-old boy, Baruch Neria from Pardes Hanna, has died at Rambam Medical Center in Haifa after contracting a rare infection from the Naegleria fowleri amoeba, commonly known as the "brain-eating amoeba." The amoeba causes severe inflammation of the central nervous system.

Approximately one week before being hospitalized in early September, the boy had been swimming at Kursi Beach on the Sea of Galilee. He subsequently developed the illness caused by the amoeba.

Naegleria fowleri is found in warm freshwater and can enter the body through the nose, leading to infection. While the infection is extremely rare, it is highly dangerous, with fewer than 500 cases recorded globally. In the United States, two cases were reported last year, and Israel has seen three cases in recent years.

Initial symptoms of the infection typically include high fever, severe headache, nausea, vomiting, and neurological disturbances that can affect consciousness.