North Carolina teen dies after infection with brain-eating amoeba

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services confirmed that a teenager died on Aug. 31, 2026 from a rare infection caused by the Naegleria fowleri amoeba. The department said the teen had been "critically ill and receiving medical care" before his death.

According to the boy’s mother, Moises Ponce Mendoza, he first sought care at a Burlington hospital on Aug. 21 for severe headaches but was discharged after a brief examination. His condition worsened, and he was taken to the University of North Carolina hospital the following morning, where doctors diagnosed an infection with Naegleria fowleri, a single-cell organism that can enter the nose, travel to the brain, and cause inflammation and damage.

Naegleria fowleri is typically found in warm freshwater such as ponds, lakes and rivers, but not in saltwater or properly chlorinated pools. Infection occurs when contaminated water enters the nose, leading to primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). Symptoms include severe headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, stiff neck, seizures and coma, often progressing to death within about five days. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports a mortality rate above 97%, with fewer than ten cases reported annually in the United States.

Health officials advise swimmers to keep their heads above water in warm freshwater, use nose clips or hold their noses shut, avoid diving or jumping in, and refrain from submerging the head in hot springs or disturbing sediment in shallow warm water.

The case follows a recent death of an eight-year-old girl in Louisiana who also contracted Naegleria fowleri, highlighting concerns that climate-related warming may expand the amoeba’s range beyond traditional southern states.