Nine-year-old boy hospitalized with brain-eating amoeba, health ministry says

A nine-year-old boy is hospitalized in a serious condition after contracting a rare brain infection from a brain-eating amoeba, according to the Health Ministry. Preliminary investigations indicate that the child swam in the Sea of Galilee a week prior to his hospitalization. The amoeba responsible, Naegleria fowleri, is primarily found in warm freshwater and has caused only about 500 cases worldwide, with a 97% fatality rate. This is the third recorded case in Israel in recent years.

Three cases have been documented in Israel in recent years, including a 26-year-old man who died in July 2024 and a 10-year-old boy who was left in a vegetative state after exposure to the amoeba at a water park near the Sea of Galilee. Another resident of northern Israel died in 2022 after contracting the infection in a freshwater reservoir in the north. The amoeba can enter the nose when contaminated water is inhaled, traveling to the brain and causing a severe central nervous system infection.

The Health Ministry advises swimmers to minimize water entering their noses while swimming in warm freshwater, particularly during activities like jumping, diving, or submerging their heads. Holding the nose closed or using nose clips can help prevent infection. People who develop symptoms such as fever, severe headache, nausea, vomiting, stiff neck, confusion, unusual drowsiness, or changes in consciousness after swimming in warm freshwater should seek immediate medical attention and inform doctors about their recent water exposure. While the disease is extremely rare, patients' conditions can deteriorate rapidly.