A rare case in Israel: A 25-year-old resident of the center suffered from encephalitis caused by the rare brain-eating amoeba Naegleria fowleri – this is what the Ministry of Health informed this evening (Thursday). The young man is hospitalized in intensive care in a life-threatening condition. This is an incidence of ten cases a year in the United States and the second case ever in Israel. The first case of the amoeba in Israel was in August 2022 and was discovered at Furia Hospital. Within days, the single-celled creature resulted in the patient’s death.
Sorting out: what is a “brain-eating amoeba”?
The young man was admitted to the Sharon Hospital on Tuesday of this week with symptoms of fever, headache and vomiting, and is fully conscious. After that, his condition rapidly deteriorated and neurological symptoms appeared. A quick and comprehensive series of tests were performed at the hospital, following which they arrived at the rare diagnosis. Yesterday at night the young man was transferred to Levinson hospital for intensive care in the neurosurgery department.
Dr. Aina Dvir, a senior physician in the neurosurgical intensive care unit, in Bilinson, explained regarding the disease: “It is such a rare disease that it is usually not at all in the basket of possibilities that are suspected. The cases are not many and unfortunately, due to the rarity of the disease, it is usually only identified following death.”
Dvir added that following a quick diagnosis by Dr. Tamar Gutesman, director of the Infectious Diseases Unit at Sharon Hospital and the Microbiological Laboratory in Bilinson, rapid treatment of the young man was possible using several types of medication. Even more,” Dvir said. “Right now we are busy saving the patient’s life, but there is no doubt that this is a case that will still be learned.”
Suspicion at the Sharon and Billinson hospitals began to arise following an inquiry was made with the family and the patient, who said that they had stayed near natural water sources. The Ministry of Health states that this is a rare disease with a high mortality rate and that a total of 400 cases have been reported worldwide so far. The same amoeba is found in fresh water, puddles, or stagnant water sources of various types. An investigation by the Health Bureau in the Central District of the Ministry of Health found that the young man was apparently infected while staying in the Kinneret. The ministry is conducting an investigation and today sent environmental health inspectors to check and sample the water. “The Ministry of Health will inform the public if it is necessary,” it was reported.
How can you get infected?
The amoeba thrives in hot water above 35 degrees Celsius and up to 42 degrees Celsius and in most cases nothing will happen to bathers in the water sources where the amoeba is found. It infects people when water containing it enters the body through the nose. This usually happens when swimming or diving in fresh and warm water sources, such as lakes, streams, rivers and springs; But it can also be found in the soil near hot water discharge areas from industrial plants and in non-chlorinated swimming pools. The single-celled creature travels up the nose to the brain, where it destroys the tissue and causes an infection.
It should be emphasized that the Ministry of Health has issued a clarification that all the facilities of the water park at Beach Guy have been sanitary checked and all the tests (checking the chlorine level, water turbidity and acidity) were found to be normal. There is no fear of using the park facilities.
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