North Carolina teen critically ill with rare brain infection; source of exposure still unknown

A Central North Carolina teenager is in critical condition after contracting primary amebic meningoencephalitis, a rare brain infection caused by the Naegleria fowleri amoeba that thrives in warm freshwater. State health officials said they are working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health departments to investigate all possible sources, but have not disclosed where the teen may have been exposed or whether the water remains in use.

The agency noted that the organism is naturally present in lakes, ponds and rivers and cannot be eliminated from the environment. Testing water for the amoeba is complex, costly and not part of routine surveillance, according to a researcher at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health. He said researchers are seeking a cheaper, faster test that could be completed in a few hours.

Public health officials emphasize prevention through education, recommending swimmers keep freshwater out of the nose with nose clips, avoid diving in warm water during high temperatures and low levels, and refrain from stirring up sediment in shallow areas. Infection occurs only when contaminated water enters the nose, not through swallowing.

The family of a child who died from the same infection in 2021 has created a nonprofit to raise awareness and fund research, noting that better public knowledge is essential for reducing risk.

"We feel like we're pretty well-educated people, and we had no idea about this amoeba," the mother said. "Had we known, I would never have let my child in fresh water." "Families have a right to know of the risk that's in freshwater," she added.