North Carolina teen dies from rare brain-eating amoeba infection

A North Carolina teenager died on Aug. 31, four days after state health officials announced he was critically ill with a brain infection caused by the Naegleria fowleri amoeba. The Department of Health and Human Services said it is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health departments to determine how the teen was exposed.

The teen, identified by his mother Monica Mendoza as Moises Ponce Mendoza, was first taken to a Burlington hospital on Aug. 21 for severe headaches and was sent home after a brief exam. His condition worsened, and he was later admitted to the University of North Carolina hospital, where doctors placed him in a coma while treating the infection.

Naegleria fowleri, commonly found in warm freshwater such as lakes, ponds and rivers, can cause primary amebic meningoencephalitis when contaminated water enters the nose. The disease progresses rapidly, typically leading to death within about five days of symptom onset. Symptoms include severe headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, stiff neck, seizures and coma.

"We extend our condolences to the family, friends and community impacted by this loss," the health department said in a statement.

Officials advise swimmers to reduce risk by holding their nose or using a nose clip when diving into warm freshwater, avoiding stirring up sediment, keeping heads above water in hot springs, and using distilled or boiled water for nasal rinses. The case follows a recent death of an 8-year-old in Louisiana who also contracted the infection.