Durham water feature identified as probable source of fatal brain-eating amoeba infection
State investigators say a water feature at a Durham nonprofit mental-health center is the most likely exposure site for the Naegleria fowleri infection that killed a teenager.
State health officials have identified a water feature at El Futuro, a nonprofit mental-health organization in Durham, as the most likely source of exposure to Naegleria fowleri that led to a teenager's death. The Department of Health and Human Services said the investigation could not definitively pinpoint the exact location, but evidence points to the clinic's outdoor green space where the teen is believed to have splashed water on his face during the exposure period.
"NC Department of Health and Human Services and Durham County Public Health informed El Futuro that testing identified the presence of Naegleria fowleri in a water feature at our green space. Our hearts are broken for the young boy who lost his life and for his family," the organization said in a statement, adding that the water feature has been closed since officials were first notified.
Durham County health officials shut the feature on Aug. 28 for testing by the CDC, and the area remains cordoned off with "Keep Out" signs and traffic cones. The teen died on Aug. 31. Naegleria fowleri is a microscopic organism that thrives in warm freshwater and soil and can cause a severe brain infection when water containing the amoeba enters the nose. The state health department reported 167 infections nationwide between 1962 and 2024.