North Carolina teen likely infected with brain-eating amoeba at Durham community center
State health officials say the teenager who died in August from Naegleria fowleri most likely contracted the infection at a water feature in a Durham nonprofit's garden area.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said a teenage patient who died in August from the brain-eating amoeba Naegleria fowleri most likely became infected at a water feature operated by a community-based organization in Durham. The facility, El Futuro, includes a man-made creek with a pump and multiple fountains that was found to have visible algal growth and inadequate disinfection.
"While this investigation does not allow us to conclusively determine the location of exposure, the epidemiologic, laboratory, and environmental findings suggest that the El Futuro water feature was the most likely source," the department’s report stated.
Water samples collected from the site detected non-viable N. fowleri in the storage tank, and officials noted that the teen likely had contact with the water by splashing their face, consistent with family reports of the patient’s exposure. Naegleria fowleri infections occur when the amoeba enters the nasal passages, typically during activities that force water up the nose.
The teen was hospitalized in critical condition on August 28 and died on September 2. The family’s wish for privacy kept the patient’s identity undisclosed.