Israeli Boy, 9, Dies From Brain-Eating Amoeba After Swimming in Sea of Galilee

A nine-year-old boy from Pardes Hanna has died at Rambam Medical Center in Haifa from a rare and aggressive "brain-eating amoeba" infection, more than two weeks after being hospitalized in serious condition. The boy, Baruch Neria, was infected with Naegleria fowleri, a single-celled organism found in warm freshwater sources.

An initial epidemiological investigation revealed that the boy had been swimming at Kinneret beach in the Sea of Galilee about a week before his hospitalization. Doctors placed him in intensive care and on a ventilator. Tests sent to the Ministry of Health confirmed the presence of the amoeba.

According to the Ministry of Health, Naegleria fowleri infections are extremely rare globally, with fewer than 500 cases reported worldwide. In Israel, three other cases have been diagnosed in recent years, two of which were fatal. In the summer of 2022, a 36-year-old man died from the infection. In 2024, a 26-year-old man died within days of contracting the amoeba, and just three weeks later, a 10-year-old boy, Roai Zigdon, was infected while on vacation at the Sea of Galilee and has been fighting for his life for months.

Dr. Rotem Lapidot, head of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Department at Rambam, explained that the amoeba thrives in warm water, at temperatures of 28 degrees Celsius (82 degrees Fahrenheit) and above, and enters the brain through the nose. She emphasized that infection is very rare, not contagious between people, and cannot be contracted by drinking contaminated water. Symptoms typically appear five to six days after exposure and include fever, headache, vomiting, nausea, and neurological changes, necessitating immediate medical attention if present.