Central North Carolina teen battles rare brain-eating amoeba infection

North Carolina health authorities announced that a teenager from the central part of the state is critically ill after being infected with Naegleria fowleri, the so-called brain-eating amoeba. The patient is currently receiving treatment, while investigators work to determine how the exposure occurred, though personal details are being kept confidential out of respect for the family. The amoeba is typically found in warm, fresh water such as ponds, lakes and rivers, and infection happens when contaminated water is forced up the nose, often during activities like diving or jumping.

The infection is nearly always fatal, but it does not affect individuals who swallow the water. Health officials have issued safety recommendations, including using nose clips, avoiding submerging the head in hot springs, and steering clear of diving in warm water during high-temperature periods. Fewer than ten cases of this lethal disease are reported in the United States each year.