North Carolina teen's fatal brain-amoeba infection linked to community center water feature
Health officials say the 17-year-old's Naegleria fowleri infection was likely acquired from a water feature at a Durham County mental-health center, which has been closed pending further testing.
A 17-year-old from Durham County died on Aug. 31 after developing a rare brain infection caused by Naegleria fowleri, a free-living amoeba that thrives in warm freshwater. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) reported that the teenager, identified by his family as Moises Ponce Mendoza, visited the El Futuro community-based mental-health center on Aug. 13 and likely came into contact with a water feature that sprayed water onto his face. Testing later confirmed the presence of the amoeba in the fixture, prompting the county health department to close it on Aug. 28.
The teen was hospitalized on Aug. 22 after seeking emergency care for a severe headache and died nine days later. Naegleria fowleri infections are extremely rare in the United States, with fewer than ten cases reported annually. The organism can enter the brain when contaminated water is forced up the nose, leading to primary amebic meningoencephalitis, which typically progresses to death within days.
"Our hearts are broken for the young boy who lost his life and for his family," El Futuro said in a statement, adding that the center is cooperating fully with public-health officials.
Mendoza's mother expressed grief and called for a thorough investigation into how her son became ill. The NCDHHS advises avoiding water entering the nose during freshwater activities, refraining from submerging the head in hot springs, and using only distilled water for nasal rinses to reduce the risk of infection.