Around 100 Israelis have been screened as of Thursday morning for the brain-eating amoeba that has already killed a 26-year-old man and infected a 10-year-old boy earlier this month. Both had been in the water of Lake Kinneret.
The young boy was admitted to Ziv Medical Center in Tzfat, where he is currently in very serious condition, sedated and on a respirator in the intensive care unit. “The medical team in the children’s department continues to provide him with the best care and all of us here are praying for his recovery,” said a spokesperson for Ziv.
Everyone who is being screened for the organism spent time at the Gai Beach on Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee).
Thus far, five adults and 19 children have also been screened at Ziv for the organism Naegleria fowleri, which can cause a brain inflammation. All 24 patients were cleared and released.
At Baruch Padeh Medical Center in Tiberias 36 people have been released after being examined at the emergency room for suspected mild symptoms. Four children are still under observation and being checked for the organism.
Naegleria fowleri is a one-celled organism (type of amoeba) that thrives in warm freshwater lakes, rivers, and hot springs. It is often called the “brain-eating amoeba” because it can infect the brain and destroy brain tissue, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
If water containing the amoeba goes up the nose and to the brain, it can cause an infection called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). However, one cannot contract a Naegleria fowleri infection from swallowing water containing the amoeba, nor can you catch the infection from someone else, or pass it on to others.
Israelis are being warned to immediately seek medical care if they experience symptoms of meningitis, such as a stiff neck, headache with vomiting, and blurred vision.
