Boy in critical condition with rare ‘brain-eating amoeba’ after swimming in Sea of Galilee

A 9-year-old child is hospitalized in serious condition with encephalitis and is sedated and intubated in the intensive care unit at Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa, the Health Ministry says.

Tests sent to the ministry’s laboratory overnight confirmed that the boy contracted the infection from Naegleria fowleri, a rare brain-eating amoeba.

An initial epidemiological investigation revealed that the child swam at Kursi Beach on the Sea of Galilee about a week before he was hospitalized.

The amoeba causes an extremely rare but highly fatal infection of the central nervous system. Fewer than 500 cases have been reported worldwide, including two in the US over the past year. Israel has seen three recorded cases in recent years.

Naegleria fowleri thrives in warm freshwater sources. Infection occurs exclusively when contaminated water enters through the nose, allowing the organism to travel to the brain. It cannot be contracted by drinking water, nor does it spread from person to person.

To reduce risk when swimming in warm freshwater, health officials advise keeping water from entering the nose — especially when diving, jumping, or putting one’s head underwater — by holding the nose shut or using nose clips. Swimmers should also avoid stirring up sediment in shallow waters, where concentrations of the amoeba can be higher.