A 9-year-old boy is in critical condition with severe brain inflammation after contracting the rare amoeba Naegleria fowleri, Israel’s Health Ministry said.
The child is sedated and on a ventilator in the intensive care unit at Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa. Laboratory testing confirmed the suspected infection after a sample was sent for analysis Saturday night.
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An initial epidemiological investigation found that the boy had swum at Kursi Beach on the Sea of Galilee about a week before he was hospitalized.
Naegleria fowleri is a microscopic amoeba found mainly in warm freshwater. In extremely rare cases, it can cause a severe infection of the central nervous system when contaminated water enters through the nose and the organism reaches the brain.
The infection is not caused by drinking contaminated water and does not spread from person to person.
Fewer than 500 cases have been reported worldwide, according to the Health Ministry. Two were diagnosed in the United States over the past year, while Israel has recorded three cases in recent years.
The disease is extremely rare but has a high mortality rate and can progress rapidly once symptoms develop.
Early symptoms may include fever, severe headache, nausea and vomiting. As the infection advances, patients may develop neck stiffness, confusion, unusual drowsiness or changes in consciousness.
The risk is associated with warm freshwater entering the nose, particularly during diving, jumping into water or submerging the head. The amoeba may also be present in greater concentrations in disturbed sediment in shallow water.