Nine-year-old dies after contracting brain-eating amoeba after swimming in Kinneret
According to the ministry, an investigation found that the boy had been swimming at Kursi Beach in the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) about a week before his hospitalization.
A nine-year-old boy succumbed to a brain-eating amoeba infection on Thursday after swimming at Kursi Beach in the Kinneret, or Sea of Galilee, according to the Health Ministry. The youngster was admitted to Rambam Medical Center with brain swelling and subsequently sedated and placed in intensive care. A sample taken from the boy's body was later confirmed to be caused by Naegleria Fowleri, also known as the brain-eating amoeba.
The infection transpires when water containing the amoeba enters the nose and reaches the brain, leading to a fatal central nervous system infection. While the mortality rate is high, the infection is extremely rare, with fewer than 500 cases reported globally and only three instances in Israel in recent years. Health officials advise swimming enthusiasts to prevent water from entering the nose while swimming, particularly while diving or submerging their heads.
Closing the nose or using a nose plug is recommended, and avoiding stirring the bottom of shallow water is also advised, as the amoeba may accumulate in higher concentrations there. Symptoms of the amoeba infection include fever, severe headache, nausea, vomiting, neck stiffness, confusion, unusual drowsiness, or a change in consciousness.
Immediate medical attention is urged for those experiencing these symptoms, especially if they have recently swam in warm, fresh water. Due to the amoeba's prevalence in warm water, swimming sports events have been postponed until the water temperature falls below 24 degrees, as the amoeba's proliferation decreases significantly at that temperature.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
