NC Teen Critically Ill From Brain-Eating Amoeba
NC Teen Critically Ill From Brain-Eating Amoeba
The News
A teenager in central North Carolina is critically ill after contracting Naegleria fowleri, the waterborne "brain-eating amoeba" that causes a rare and usually fatal brain infection, state health officials said.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said the teen is "critically ill and receiving medical care." Officials say the case is linked to swimming in freshwater, and the exact source is still under investigation.
It is North Carolina's first confirmed case since 2019, and it comes days after a child in Louisiana died from the same infection.
Timeline
North Carolina health officials announce the confirmed Naegleria fowleri infection in a central North Carolina teenager, who is in critical condition.
News of the case spreads nationally. Officials say the water source has not been identified and the investigation is ongoing.
A child in Louisiana died after contracting the same amoeba, according to USA Today and Just the News.
Reactions
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services warned that the illness moves fast: "once symptoms start, the disease progresses rapidly and usually causes death within about five days."
Health officials stressed the infection does not spread from person to person. The amoeba enters through the nose — not by swallowing water — and travels to the brain, where it destroys tissue.
The CDC's standing advice for warm freshwater: use a nose clip or hold your nose shut when jumping or diving in.
What's Next
State officials have not named the body of water involved and have not said whether site-specific warnings will follow. The investigation continues.
The teen remains in critical condition. Survival is rare: Newsweek counted 173 U.S. cases over the years, with only four people surviving.
More
Fewer than 10 infections are diagnosed in the United States in a typical year, making this one of the rarest infections American doctors see — and one of the deadliest.
Newsweek's state-by-state tally puts Texas first with 40 recorded infections since 1937, followed by Florida with 37.
Naegleria fowleri lives naturally in warm freshwater — lakes, ponds and rivers — and in soil. It has also been found in hot springs, poorly chlorinated pools, improperly treated tap water and, in lower concentrations, cooler fresh water, according to reporting from WKBN and WFLA.
Symptoms start with headache, fever, nausea and vomiting, then progress to seizures and coma.
UMass Dartmouth Running Back, 18, Stabbed to Death
Trump Vows 'AI Force,' Czar; Polls Name Change
Sep 20, 2026
Iran Sends Trump Three Conditions to End War
Sep 19, 2026
Faulty AI Intel Nearly Started War With China
Sep 19, 2026
German General Breuer Elected NATO's Top Officer
Sep 19, 2026
Nobel Laureate: War, Sanctions Crushing Iranians
Sep 19, 2026
Dutch Police Disperse Violent Far-Right Hague Protest
Sep 19, 2026
GOP Midterm Odds Fade With 45 Days Left
Sep 19, 2026
Maher Rejects Tarlov's Claim Democrats Are Less Crazy
Sep 19, 2026
Patrick Clancy Breaks Silence After Ex-Wife Killed Kids
Sep 19, 2026
Trump Cuts Park Staff, Diverts Fees to DC
Sep 19, 2026
Holocaust Heirs Sue LA Museums Over Looted Art
Sep 19, 2026
Trump's Fed Chair Hikes Rates, Defying White House
Sep 19, 2026
Miller Drives Push to Deport Illegal Immigrant Children
Sep 19, 2026
US Lifts Sanctions on Eritrea's Military, Ruling Party
Sep 19, 2026
Air Force Admits US Has Space Weapons
Sep 19, 2026
Turkey Revokes License of Iran's Mellat Bank
Sep 19, 2026
Billionaire Ratcliffe Blasts Britain Over Immigration, Taxes
Sep 19, 2026
Navajo Nation Flash Flood Kills Three
Sep 19, 2026
Explosions Over Riyadh Trigger Saudi Air Alerts
Sep 19, 2026
Sep 19, 2026