North Carolina teen dies from rare brain-eating amoeba, family seeks source
A 17-year-old from Burlington died after contracting a rare brain-eating amoeba, and his family is urging health officials to identify the source of exposure.
A 17-year-old boy from Burlington, North Carolina, died at UNC Medical Center in Chapel Hill after being diagnosed with a rare brain-eating amoeba, a condition that affects fewer than ten people in the United States each year. The family, who first took the teen to Alamance Regional Medical Center before his condition worsened, is pressing authorities to determine how he became infected.
"My son, what's wrong with you?" the mother, Monica Mendoza, said, recalling the moment she found him disoriented and holding his head.
"Please, pay close attention and do your part to find where this came from so we can protect everyone else," she added, urging health officials to identify the exposure source.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services told reporters that investigators have not yet pinpointed a likely source and that the inquiry remains ongoing. Family members noted that the teen enjoyed swimming in various lakes and pools, suggesting possible water-related exposure.
"We always went to many different places to swim. We always loved that. Lakes, pools, many places," said his brother, Elmer Aguilar Mendoza.
The case highlights the challenges of diagnosing and preventing rare infections, and officials continue to monitor for additional cases.