North Carolina teenager dies from rare infection caused by brain-eating amoeba
Summary
A teenager from North Carolina died after being infected by a rare brain-eating amoeba called Naegleria fowleri. The infection is very rare but deadly and usually happens when contaminated warm freshwater enters the nose.Key Facts
- The boy, Moises Ponce Mendoza, died on August 31, 2026, from an infection caused by Naegleria fowleri.
- Naegleria fowleri is a single-celled organism found in warm freshwater like ponds and lakes.
- The amoeba is harmless if swallowed but deadly if it enters the nose and reaches the brain.
- Symptoms include severe headaches, fever, nausea, stiff neck, seizures, coma, and often death within about five days.
- Fewer than 10 cases occur annually in the U.S., mostly during hot weather when water temperatures rise.
- Health officials advise avoiding getting water up the nose in warm freshwater, using nose clips, and not disturbing sediment in shallow water.
- Another recent death from this amoeba occurred in Louisiana, showing the infection can happen in different states.
- Scientists warn that climate change may be expanding the range of Naegleria fowleri further north in the U.S.
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